


Misty Woedd

by Crow_Shadow333



Category: The Witcher (TV), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: ADHD Original female Character, Animal Death, Awkward Flirting, Awkward Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Canon-Typical Violence, Developing Friendships, Drunken Flirting, Emotionally Constipated Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Eventual Smut, F/M, Flirty Jaskier | Dandelion, Friends to Lovers, Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia Has Feelings, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Insecure Jaskier | Dandelion, Magic, Original Female Character is a shit sometimes, Past Abuse Mentioned, Past Child Abuse, Philosphical Banter, Pranks and Practical Jokes, Protective Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Protective Jaskier | Dandelion, Recreational Marijuanna Use, Romantic Fluff, Slow Burn, Sneaky little creatures, Touch-Starved Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, cute moments, semi-rough sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-28
Updated: 2020-10-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:34:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 24,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24962368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crow_Shadow333/pseuds/Crow_Shadow333
Summary: I suck at summaries (still). Basically Geralt and Jaskier are once again roaming the continent hunting in exchange for coin. A small town hangs a flyer in Beuclair practically begging for help concerning something in the forest the town borders. Geralt decides to check it out since he's secretly (not really) a good guy, but while there; something odd happens and he encounters someone the likes of which he's never met before. And now he can't see any other way out of the situation but to keep looking into the forest. Of course Jaskier won't pass up this chance to write another amazing tale of the infamous witcher's heroics.
Relationships: Eskel/Triss Merigold, Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 35





	1. First impression

**Author's Note:**

> This was just an idea that popped into my head after watching Netflix's The Witcher, and this first chapter is inspired by a song called í Tokuni by Eivor. I highly recommend listening to it before you even start reading, just to get an understanding of the chapter's setting/feel. I hope you guys like it! Also, if you want the English lyrics, it's on youtube :) I only own the Original Character(s) and the town of Mossdale. I'm open to constructive criticism. Also, sorry for any misspelled words, there's probably a few since I did this half on my phone and half on my laptop.

Geralt sat atop Roach, scanning the brush nearby as it was getting closer to evening and they still hadn't arrived at the small town yet. The witcher looked behind his shoulder at the mumbling bard, who wasn't paying attetion to much while he tuned his lute; grumbling under his breath when it wouldn't do as he pleaded it to. Geralt gave a small sigh, and hoped that Jaskier had made enough coin in the last village so they could each have their own room when they eventually got to the inn; because Geralt was a man who quite enjoyed his privacy if he was being honest. And Geralt was honest to a fault almost. The silence stretched on, as the two walked the well worn path around the forest, the only sounds were those of nature; and of Jaskier quickly losing his patience with his stubborn lute. Geralt listened as the bard finally gave up, and put the intrusment on his back. The snowy haired man could tell that the bard was about to start talking and disturbing the silence, so he decided to throw the man a bone.  
"We're nearly there." Geralt said, while still eyeing the path for any potential threats.  
"It'll be almost sunset by the time we get there. This forest is ancient, and very large; and takes some time to go around" He said while making eye contact with a tired looking Jaskier. " What's this town's name again Geralt, and why is it in the middle of literally nowhere? And for that matter, what is this job that you've heard about?" the brunette asked his companion. Geralt hmmed, and said " The town of Mossdale is where we're headed Jaskier. The townspeople have put out a contract for someone to investigate some strange happenings in the forest. These people have claimed to hear eerie music coming from the woods during the time of the waning cresent moon, and fear they may have upset something dangerous." He looked at the now pale bard, and said "Stay at the Inn tonight, we don't know what we're dealing with. Yet."  
"Oh, and miss out on some promising material for my next song? I think not Geralt ha ha." Jaskier said to the ever stoic witcher, who now bore an even grumpier face than before, if that was possible. Geralt was about to make a witty remark on the bard's courage, or foolhardiness as he saw it, when a small but swift breeze passed through the nearby forest; bringing an unknown but not unpleasant scent to his enhanced nose. The witcher stopped Roach, and breathed deeply, while looking as far into the misty woods as his senses would allow, seeing nothing unusual. It had the bite of black cardamom and cinnamon bark. There were undertones of rich black cherries, and midnight myrrh. He tried to figure out the other subtle notes of this mystery scent, but it quickly vanished as the wind died down to nothing but a soft gust, leaving the White Wolf to question what they've just walked into by taking this contract. As Geralt sat there questioning upon Roach's saddle, Jaskier hadn't noticed and kept walking; trying to tune his lute once again. Geralt turned his snowy head to the bard, just in time to watch said bard trip on a rock and stumble right off the path and into a rather large muddy puddle; ruining his already well worn boots. "Oh well, isn't that just wonderful!" Jaskier exclaimed, looking balefully at the sky; cursing whatever Gods may be listening.  
"Now I'm going to have get new ones in town! I don't even kow if they have my style Geralt!" The noisy brunette swivelled his head, looking for the unmistakable white sheen of his normally foul tempered traveling companion. Spotting him dismount the walnut colored mare, who seemed not at all bothered with Jaskier's complaints; "Why didn't you warn me?" he said as he pinned Geralt with a dramatic look of betrayal. "You've got two perfectly good eyes in that head of yours Jaskier, but apparently not enough mind to use them" replied the amber eyed man. "Besides" Geralt continued, ignoring the offended gasps behind him "I can see the entrance from here, only another half an hour and then we can find the Inn, get some rooms; and you can inquire about new footwear as you see fit." Holding Roach's reins, he kept walking towards Mossdale; strategizing how to enter the forest without drawing any further attention from whatever is lurking there.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Now the shadows of evening began to truly sink the small town further into the darkness, the woods casting an ominous stillness. It was only interrupted by those travelling the streets on their way home, or by those whose businesses flourished most in twilight. Geralt and Jaskier arrived close to the center of Mossdale, finding the Inn. Called The Murky Crows bar, Geralt glanced through the windows, seeing lit lanterns and hearing a sorry excuse for a ballad; his face souring further when he heard the lyrics. Tying the mare's reins to the hitching rail out front, he grabbed his supplies and walked through the door. There were maybe a dozen patrons inside, enjoying some mead and some type of pleasant smelling stew. Only a few stopped to stare at the man with hair as white as tarnished silver, but then they went back to their business, gossiping just a bit more than earlier. Walking up to the bar with Jaskier trailing behind, who was trying to sneakily eye a young woman near the fireplace; he stopped to ask the Innkeeper about any rooms for rent. But before Geralt could open his mouth, the Innkeeper looked up from cleaning a mug; and froze on the spot with his mouth open. "Are you the White Wolf? Are you the one who has come for the contract in the woods?" his eyes wide in astonishment, as he gaped at Geralt, who wasn't phased by this reaction any longer. Geralt looked around as a hush fell over the tavern. He noticed everyone had perked up a little, including the woman by the fireplace; though she didn't look as interested as everyone else and continued to sip her small glass of mead. "Indeed he is good sir." Jaskier quipped while Geralt was glancing around. "This is indeed THE Geralt of Rivia, here with myself his humble bard, coming to add another victory to his long list of victories; and to free these good people of whatever evil hides in the woods that has put you under it's spell!" he finished his sentence, after jumping onto a short stool. Jaskier then pulled out his lute, which he'd finally managed to tune; and started to sing a rousing little sea shanty he'd learned somewhere along the way. Groaning and turning back to the Innkeeper, Geralt informed him that they'd be there for at least three nights, managed to get himself a room; and informed his loudmouth associate that he'd have to get his own room. Jaskier's eyes widened, and he frowned as he continued singing. Luckily, the people of Mossdale seemed eager for some new music; and paid him enough to afford a bed for the night. As he strummed away, the White Wolf walked down the hall to his room; thinking back to that scent from deep in the mist and forest. He thought he might have caught it again while talking with the Innkeeper, but it was gone too fast for him to be sure. There was something here that he couldn't quite place, and it was starting to annoy him. Geralt didn't like surprises, especially during hunts, and this was something unknown to him; leaving him restless and wondering what comes next.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Later that evening, after having a hot bath in a slightly cramped tub and filling up on what turned out to be an herbed pheasant stew courtesy of the Innkeeper's wife; Geralt strode over to his progressively drunk friend to inform him that tonight will be for scouting only and to stay quiet. "Does that mean no singing?" the bard asked cheekily as the witcher grunted and piched the bridge of his sharp nose. "They say that music can soothe the savage beasts of this world Geralt, so you should be more grateful. I might have to save your arse someday with my lovely voice." Geralt's glowing eyes began to narrow slightly as he felt a headache begin to form. "Fuck, I don't need this right now." he thought as he debated on whether to leave Jaskier behind tonight. Looking over at the few remaining patrons enjoying their ales, with one couple getting handsy in a corner thinking they were subtle; he noticed the fire was almost dead. Then he noticed a small flash of iridescence near one of the tables as the fire gave one more leap, before dwindling down to red hot coals. Leaving Jaskier to his wine and the comely young barmaid in his lap, Geralt walked over to the small shimmer of color. Stooping down, he saw it was a raven's feather. He chuckled a bit, smirking at the irony of finding a raven's feather in a place called The Murky Crows bar. As he stood back up to his full imposing height, he stopped. There it was again, but very faint. That spicy sweet musk drew his eyes around the tavern, looking for the source; but unable to pinpoint it. "Hm." he said as he looked the feather over, thinking they might be connected. He wasn't sure how though, and nothing in his memory regarding ravens and this area helped either. So instead of dwelling on it any further, Geralt chose to put the feather in his vest, and strode out the door; leaving Jaskier to his future hangover. He untied Roach from the rail, he mounted and took off at a slow trot, heading toward the woods still bathed in fog, but now also had the light of the cresent moon above; casting it deeper into the shadows.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Geralt of Rivia was stooped close to the mossy forest floor, carefully and quietly making his way closer towards a trio of ancient standing stones; having seen something that wasn't an animal moving there. A small fire sprang to life in the center of the stone, causing the witcher to stop and crouch behind a large thicket of berry bushes. Reaching for a potion, Geralt stopped as his sensitve ears picked up the rythmic beating of a drum nearby; piquing his interest. He didn't think that Jaskier would ever be right about anything regarding woodland beasts, if this was a beast at all; Geralt had his doubts. As he withdrew the potion, preparing to use it if need be; he caught sight of more movement out of the corner of his eye. A shifting lustrous black cloak hiding a very human form, walking over towards the small fire; before they began to sway with the drum beat. Geralt's eyes narrowed slightly, unsure of how to proceed. However, before he could plan his next step, that scent from earlier hit him in the face like he owed it money; making his cat like pupils dialate and enlarge. Now, he could finally tell it's source and the other more complex notes, smelling not only the cherries and cinnamon, but also the sweetness of dark currants, rich amber, spicy peppercorns; and exotic jasmine. He breathed it in deeply, his sense of smell almost overwhelmed, but it wasn't unpleasant; the opposite really which he'd never confess. He watched as the cloaked figure kept dancing, their movements becoming more suggestive; and as he watched he saw that the cloak had raven feathers sewn onto the shoulders. "That explains that." he thought, deciding the wearer must be a woman, judging by their dancing; all hip and flowing nimble arms. The drum beat began to gain strength and proximity to her, causing Geralt to cautiously look behind him and the area around the standing stones. As Geralt looked back to the woman, he almost drew his sword, as he'd noticed the dryad coming closer; but then noticed that it was the dryad who was the one beating the drum. His eyes widened further as he watched from afar, as the dancing woman removed her cloak as it gleamed in the firelight; dropping it on a small boulder and still facing away from him. Then the first line of her song reached his ears, not that she was being quiet, or subtle.  
*Gangi í tokuni..*  
Her voice stopped whatever thought was forming, but it wasn't a spell; that much Geralt knew. It made him almost regret leaving Jaskier at the inn, knowing he'd be pretty upset at missing what could be described as a siren song. Almost that is. Geralt knew it was probably best to leave the bard behind, believing the hopeless romantic fool would most likely try to join in and blow their cover; calling down some kind of unforseen wrath against them. His brooding was once again interrupted by her singing, and this time, she twirled; giving the hidden witcher a good look at her face despite being almost a dozen meters away. It was the woman from the inn, who sat all night by the fireplace; the one who essentially ignored his presence. While Geralt breathed her scent, he could tell that she wasn't a dryad; but a human instead. As he crouched there in the bushes watching for an opportunity to present itself, she began singing again.. But this time she didn't pause..  
*Gangi í tokuni.. Eina í djúpa.. Síggi ongar varðar.. Burtur allir garðar..*  
Her strong and silky voice, that was a bit husky from the smoke carried on the air, riding the drum beats, and making Geralt of Rivia's heart pick up it's pace a bit; unnerving him.  
*Rópi men eingin svarar..* An unusual thing happened next, unusual since Geralt was certain she was only human. The insects and the toads and other smalls creatures began an almost alarming chittering, as if they too wished to join in.  
*Inn ímullum gloppini.. I' mjørkaklæddu náttini.. Hómi eg skuggar.. Tykist sum okkurt rørir seg har.. Rópi men eingin svarar mær..*  
It was this point that he was sure that he was going to be noticed, and as he readied his potion and sword preparing for what comes next, her dance picked up speed and her song forced him to pay attention; curiosity and wariness battling for dominance on his face as he watched her and the dryad.  
*Vinur, vinur saert tú meg? Gangi í tokuni, hevur tú reikað líka sum eg; í deyðadjúpu kvirruni?*  
Geralt paused, unsure now of how to approach the situation. During his hesitation, another smell caught his attention; making him leave his spot.. Thankfully he wasn't noticed, but at he moved closer; he saw what could only be a spriggan walking from deep within the forest heading towards the singer. But as Geralt watched the spriggan, planning it's quick demise if it should attack; it stopped only a few yards away. It began to join in, gruffly vocalizng in harmony. "This must be a bad jest." the white haired man grumbled under his breath.  
*Sást tú gøtuljósini, ly'sa í bygdini? Sást tú hvat tey gjørdu har? Minnist tú hvussu støðan var? Leitaði nakar eftir mær?..*  
She continued with her song and dance, unbothered by the appearance of the spriggan; who dutifully added his gravelly vocals to her gentle but powerful melody. Geralt's confusion came to a halt when the voice of his surprisingly sober travelling companion managed to wiggle into his ear.  
"Now THAT is a voice worthy of an angel!" he harshly whispered from the bush directly on Geralt's left, causing the experienced witcher to clench his jaw and furiously reply "What the fuck are you doing here bard!? I'm fairly sure I told you to stay at the the Inn tonight.. Unless you don't mind losing a few limbs to that spriggan over there?" Geralt nodded towards the ugly male who either hadn't noticed their presence, or chose to ignore them completely; looking like he wasn't in the mood for a fight this evening. "I don't think it's your singing he wants to hear this night Jaskier. Spriggans normally won't attack humans, unless you piss them off.." Geralt said with a pointed look.  
*Vinur, vinur sært tú meg? Gangi í tokuni, hevur tú reikað líka sum eg; í deyðadjúpu kvirruni?*  
"See, look. She just called us her friends.. Geralt.." the bard's sentence trailed off as his blue eyes raised skywards. Taking his eyes of the the woman's lithe and provacative form, he glanced up; noting that there were now hundreds of glowing fireflies that appeared to pulse light with each beat of the dryad's drum. "Hm. We should probably go; it isn't common for fireflies to act this way." Geralt looked over to Jaskier, who had stopped listening; and was staring transfixed on the woman who continued with her song uninterrupted not caring that there was an armed witcher less than eight yards from her rather defenseless position. The animal and insect noises along with the spriggans vocals grew in intensity. Her next sentence was more of a harsh but honey sweet whisper, yet the men were still able to hear her. Though Geralt was the only one who picked up every word she said, whilst Jaskier couldn't quite make out her lyrics.  
*Hevur tú eins og eg, gingið í tokuni, burturvilst frá slóðini; ytst á fjallatromini? Kennir tú hetta einsemið?*  
The woman looked over at the bushes the two were hiding in, showing that she knew they were there the entire time. But she didn't stop singing, or even stop her dancing for that matter, despite it being very flirtatious; making Geralt's chest tighten. Her scent was definitely not helping the matter, but the determined and equally stubborn White Wolf didn't move an inch; despite his body begining to react. Instead, he carefully crept over to Jaskier's bush when her attention was diverted to the fireflies; grabbing the reckless man and forcing him closer to the ground. He had begun to slowly stand, so enthralled with her singing that he was no longer paying attention to his actions.  
*Vinur, vinur skilur tú meg? Veitst tú nakran loyniveg? Hevur tú reikað líka sum eg, í endaleysu óvissuni?*  
"Geralt, how dare you!? You're so rude sometimes, you grumpy sourpuss! We should at least allow this Goddess to finish this divine melody of hers!" Jaskier complained to his white haired friend. "I feel we owe her that much, what with you trying, badly I might add; to be a peeping tom." the bard griped, giving the increasingly annoyed witcher a smug look, taking amusement in Geralt's frustration; despite memory telling him he'd pay for it later.. After a few seconds of internally weighing their chances of leaving unnoticed, Geralt replied with "Fuck. Fine, we'll stay until she's done; then we leave. No, we shan't be getting her name this evening Jask." He returned his eyes to her form.  
*Vinur, vinur skilur tú meg? Veitst tú nakran loyniveg? Hevur tú reikad líka sum eg, í endaleysu tokuni?*  
And with that, her song ended, the powerful sound still ringing like a bell throughout the misty forest; with the creatures that dwell in the darkness still carrying her final notes. Her dance ended as well, and with it's end; Geralt released a small breath he didn't know he was holding. Signaling to the blue eyed bard to follow him, Geralt began carefully walking back towards town, not taking his eyes from the woman; as she turned to bow to both the spriggan and the dryad giving them her thanks. As Geralt and Jaskier began turning to head back, the woman turned to look directly at them; seemingly making eye contact with the amber eyes of the witcher. As soon as she did this, the fire died, casting them into the almost pitch blackness of Caed Myrkvid forest; causing the pair to pause their movements to adjust to the dark.  
Within seconds of the fire's death, her voice sprang forth; seemingly right beside his ear Geralt heard her say "I hope you enjoyed my song, Witcher."  
Turning, Geralt saw nothing next to him; besides a very nervous Jaskier. He quickly grabs the man's shoulder, startling him. Grabbing a fallen branch, Geralt used Igni to make a quick torch, then handed it to Jaskier; having no use for it himself since his eyes adapted quickly to the darkness. Looking all around, there was no sign of the trio's presence to be found; other than the dwindling fireflies still hanging in the air.  
"Hm." the White Wolf said, more to himself than to his noisy companion. "We won't be able to do much about them now, we should head back and get some rest. And you, you will not be joining next time or you might not be around long enough to write your next song." Geralt's thinly veiled threat went largely unheard as he turned to watch Jaskier accidently step on a rather cantankerous toad, that made a loud and displeased shriek; startling the man and making him give a suprisingly shrill shriek of his own. Geralt sighed, walking forwards and showing Jaskier the correct path; managed to make it to Roach in one piece.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
As he sat in the cramped tub, listening to Jaskier ramble on about his fantasy affair with a siren whose hair was like auburn silk that he'd met in Gors Velen several years ago; his tarnished golden eyes never left the small fireplace that came with the room. He knew that something was going to happen, but he couldn't guess as to what or when. But he felt it would be soon, and he was sure that things would be irrevocably changed. He didn't think she was evil, or had malicious intent; but he had to be sure or he wouldn't be able to collect his coin for the contract.  
"Jaskier." the man looked over towards the rough voice "Shut the hell up. I'm trying to enjoy my bath, and I'm sick of hearing about how you once fucked a monster." Geralt growled out. "What happened in Caed Myrkvid is something I've not encountered before. We need to be alert for tomorrow."  
"What do you mean you've never encountered something like her before?" Jaskier asked with an incredulous look on his face.  
"Exactly as I said, and as bizarre as that may sound; I'm being honest when I say I don't know what the fuck she is or what the hell happened!" Geralt replied with his teeth bared, angry that he has nothing to go on from this point. He was internally and sullenly raging over the fact that not only was he now convinced that this was something he had no prior knowledge of, but that he'd almost lost himself when she began to sing and sway her body; his many years of training giving him the resolve to stay unmoving. And secretly, he's almost sad that he managed to stay in control. But that's behind them now, and he has no choice but to remain focused; even if it means having to hold his breath occasionally. As Geralt began to get out of the now luke-warm bath, Jaskier bid a quick good night to the annoyed witcher and retreated back to his room; happily surprised to find the barmaid from earlier still in his bed.  
As Geralt lay on his straw stuffed mattress waiting for sleep to claim him, he thought back to her. Specifically her face and eyes. Her eyes were so gentle when she looked at him, no fear or disgust present. There was nothing but a curious kindness, the likes of which he hadn't seen in almost eight decades. And they drew him in like a moth to a flame, and Geralt frowned at this feeling in his chest; it was almost a quivering tightness that was barely noticeable. He finally recalled the color, a stunning shade of sea green with tiny golden flecks around her pupils. His heartbeat quickened, and he knew that this was something he wouldn't be able to walk away from, because despite destiny being complete horse shit to him; Geralt knew he couldn't leave without sating his blooming interest. His vision darkened, and as sleep finally claimed the snowy witcher; he heard her voice gently calling in his dream *"Kennir tú hetta einsemið?"*  
To be continued.


	2. Second Impressions, and making acquaintances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Geralt finds who he's looking for more or less, but is shocked to find that she isn't how he thought she'd be. She's more than that, and these feelings are starting to confuse him; since witchers are called heartless. Sorry for the short chapter, I gotta get these ideas written down while they're still fresh!

Geralt didn't get much in the way of sleep that night. His dreams were plagued with flashes of bright green eyes, twinkling fireflies, a soft melody, and oddly enough; Jaskier was there too. The sun chose that moment to make it's presence known to the reluctant witcher, forcing him to wake and blink his tired eyes to collect his bearings. Looking down to his lap, Geralt decided that he'd ask around and see if there was a brothel somewhere in town; since it'd been a few weeks and dreaming of the singer in the woods had put him at half mast. Even though his body fought him, he got up and got ready; trying to decide what the next step was. His first instinct was to inquire with the people in town and see if anyone recognized his description, but then there might be a case of mass panic if they thought a potential threat was living amongst them; unknown and watching. "I need a town wide panic as much as I need a hole in my head.." he said under his breath. "Thankfully, it hasn't rained in over a week, so whatever trail they left behind I might be able to track. I should also look for any signs in around town. If she does live nearby, then she must come here for supplies." He continued his line of thought.  
Taking only his armour and the few things he would need for simply investigating, Geralt walked out the door, and headed down the hall to Jaskier's room; rapping his scarred knuckles on the wood before walking in. He closed the door behind him, granting the bard and his guest a small amount of privacy in their current state of undress. The bleary eyed bard looked up and frowned "Tell me if I'm wrong" he started. "You're wrong" Geralt replied. "Hilarious joke Geralt, always the master of dry humor that you are. Anyways, were you not the one insisting on separate rooms for this trip? What happened to the need for privacy, unless you just missed me?" Jaskier sarcastically said to his friend. "You say that like I'm able to feel normal emotions. Witchers don't have feelings like normal humans Jask, what with being mutants and all." Geralt said dryly with a look that conveyed a desire to change the subject, while he walked over to the window; turning his back on the pair. The young barmaid grabbed her clothing, and quickly dressed behind a large curtain, then gave Jaskier a smouldering look "I'll see you this evening again hopefully Sir Bard." she haughtily said as she left the room, going down the stairs to the tavern for awhile.  
Sitting up fully, Jaskier glanced at Geralt who was still studying the town through the window. Before he could ask, the witcher had beat him to it "I think that woman we saw last night lives nearby, though I'm not sure where; and I plan on walking around to see if I can pick up a lead. If not, I'll be heading back into the forest where we saw her and those other two. There should be some sign, since there hasn't been rain here in awhile. I'll be leaving after breakfast, and this time" Geralt's voice lowered a bit "Don't follow me. I don't need you to walk in like a fool again and possibly get your sorry self killed." He looked at Jaskier, who was about to protest, when there was a small knock at the door. They both looked, and hesitantly the bard said "Come in. I'm mostly decent." Geralt rolled his eyes, and watched as the barmaid from earlier had returned with a tray stacked with bacon, butter fried eggs, some brown bread and cheese; and two cups of tea.  
"Hello again Sir Bard, and his friend the Witcher. I hope you don't mind my intrusion, but I thought you might like some food this morning." she gave a warm smile, then set the tray of food on the small table near the window.  
"Oh, delightful! Excellent, Bria you are the most kind woman to walk this Earth, are you sure you're not a fairie in disguise?" the darker haired man asked the now shyly grinning young woman. "Sadly I'm not." looking over at Geralt, Bria asked "Is it true that witchers can tell what a creature is, just from it's scent alone?" her eyes were curious as she looked at the man who's hair looked like winter. Deciding to amuse her while Jaskier started to shovel food into his mouth, "For the most part, yes. However, not all creatures give off a smell; which is the reason for training our other senses as well. Being able to see in the dark, or hear a mouse running from almost twenty yards away gives us the necessary edge to bring down many types of monsters." the white wolf finished as he sat to join in breaking fast.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
After finishing breakfast, Geralt went back to his room to strap his swords to him; then left to walk around and see if he saw anything unusual.  
As he made his way around the town's edge, Geralt was checking out some of the market stands. While he was skimming with his eyes, he noticed an apple get taken from the fruit stand; but nobody else seemed to notice. Carefully so as not to be discovered by the thief, he rounded a corner and caught sight of a grey and black, fluffy bottle brush tail attached to something that wasn't a dog or a cat; try to quickly hide under another stand.  
Moving slowly, Geralt lifted the blanket covering the stall; and stopped in his tracks. "What the hell?" he said, standing there watching the small gryfaun glare back with bright orange eyes; practically challenging the imposing witcher to take the apple from it. "It must be using a glamour to hide itself" He mused, before trying to lift the blanket higher to get a better look. The gryfaun had other ideas though, because it shot out between his legs before he could even brace himself, running swiftly like a fox back towards the woods; still carrying the stolen apple in one of it's dexterous paws.  
"Guess I should follow, since there aren't any other signs here. Besides, need to head that way anyway.." Geralt thought to himself as his amber eyes watched the creature disappear from view. After making sure he had a few potions on him in case he ran into that spriggan, or anything else nasty, he began making his way towards the treeline; stopping a few feet short as he saw the fluffy tail dip behind a boulder further in..  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
After only walking a quarter hour, Geralt lost sight of the town. He wasn't worried though, he was more than prepared and his wolf's head medallion wasn't vibrating; so he continued following the sneaky beast's trail. After another quarter hour, he caught sight of the quick little thing more than thirty meters to the northeast, heading to what for all intents and purposes; was a cozy cottage.  
Stopping, the man with shining white hair watched as the thing went around the back; and chuckled lightly at what he heard happen next. He knew he was at the right place, when he heard the young woman from last night start to quickly chastise the gryfaun; much to his amusement.  
"BAD PEEXEY! Bad girl, you know that we have apples here! You have no need to be taking theirs. Why do you refuse to listen?" She said sounding very irritated, letting out a loud sigh. Geralt almost felt sorry for her, because he knew she most likely wouldn't win this fight, of the little he knew of gryfauns; one thing was certain. Gryfauns were notoriously stubborn. As he crept towards her home, he heard the little creature, Peexey she called it; start chittering as if it was indeed having this conversation with her.  
Managing to get closer to the cottage unnoticed wasn't very difficult, the two inside seemed to be having a real argument, and didn't even glance up as Geralt carefully took a peek through the window; hoping that she was at least halfway decent. It would be hard to explain if she weren't and he got caught. Not to mention, she probably wouldn't be willing to answer his questions if she thought he was a letcher. "I can only hope this goes well." He murmured under his breath as he watched Peexey screech and yowl, looking like she was upset at the idea of being caught stealing. Glaring at the woman while gesturing wildly with her small paws, Peexey folded her arms in a very human way; showing her displeasure.  
"I know you feel perfectly safe walking around with your glamour Peexey, but you shouldn't be stealing from them. That's not very nice, besides, there's plenty of fruit here; just ask next time. Oh, did you see any of the stalls selling eggs? We're almost out, and I wanted to bake a cake today." The woman asked the small creature, her annoyance melting away faster than the morning frost, to be replaced with a look of hopeful anticipation. As she waited for Peexey to finish her apple, Geralt saw her pick up her broom and start sweeping a little; trying to remove some of the dust on her floor. When the gryfaun still hadn't finished after five minutes, the woman groaned a little; deciding to finish tidying her home while she waited.  
A subtle heat had made it's way towards Geralt's pale cheeks when he heard her soft groan. "This is definitely not the time nor the place for this to be happening.." he thought. As he was thinking of the best way to avoid any hostility, the gryfaun finished; and made to answer the woman. Peexey had a thoughtful look on her face, and began to gesture again and chitter.  
The woman stopped folding her linens, and walked over to Peexey to show the creature her undivided attention. She sat down beside the smoke colored female, listening to her while smiling; bouncing her foot only slightly. "So they have lots of eggs for sale ay? That's good, because I don't have the patience for raising chickens. Especially not after that hellish beast that almost pecked my eye out in my youth. How was I to know that she was broody?" she giggled at the look Peexey gave her, staring with her owlish eyes; still carrying on with everything she saw while in town. "Sorry, please continue."  
During their conversation, the witcher had made his way to another window; taking care to avoid making any noise. He looked around her cottage, appraising her home as it appeared rather inviting; and notably well cared for. As Geralt found a different angle, he could see the little sleeping nook near the back wall; and the uncommonly large bathtub tucked into the corner beside her fireplace. There were dozens of dried herb and flower bouquets hanging from the ceiling, and a wooden table with three chairs around it. His brows knitted together, wondering why she'd need three chairs if she lived alone. "I guess she actually is friends with those creatures." Geralt thought.  
Certain he wasn't in any real danger, the white wolf stood up fully, and went to knock on the door; when the gryfaun swivelled a large ear in his direction, then proceeded to spot him and tilted her head. Her fur started to stand up in places, but made no sign to attack, giving the amber eyed man a demonstration of her true intelligence; by choosing to not pick any fight she couldn't win. Looking back at the woman, Geralt finally noticed her outfit; and thought it suited her well.  
Today she was wearing a comfortable loose fitting top in a warm shade of taupe, with a soft looking layered skirt and black boots. He heard some clattering as she walked around putting things in their place, and upon closer inspection, he could see her jewelry made of small animal bones and pearls. "Fitting for a possible witch to be wearing the bones of dead animals." He smoothly commented at her through her open window, taking his chances.  
"Gods above!" she yelped, as a small candle flew off her table; whatever power she possessed flinging the wax creation against the wall in her startled state. With her eyes wide, she said to the amused man "That was very rude of you, Sir Witcher. Don't you have any manners? And secondly, I have an important question for you." the woman said as her fluttering heart began to calm, making Geralt smirk.  
"Funny that" he replied "I guess I must've forgotten them over the last few decades. My apologies. But I have some questions for you as well." Geralt said, while watching her cheeks show a tiny flush. As soon as that happened, her scent drifted over to him, causing Geralt to pause and breath it in once again; doing his best to remain unaffected.  
"Alright then, I don't mind. I knew you'd make your way here eventually, but would you mind waiting a few moments? I need to finish putting things away, and I have to grab my shawl. Then we can get going. Oh! And you can call me Valeska by the way." she said cheerfully.  
"Geralt." said the man with hair pale as moonlight, blinking in wonder at the odd; but kind woman. So he stood there, leaning against her doorway; watching for a moment as she picked up some more linens and began to quickly fold them. Putting them away in a small closet, Valeska twirled about then stopped to speak with Peexey again; asking if there was anything else she should pick up. Then she stood up, and went back to putting away a few more things, all while Geralt tried to not outright stare at the lovely woman.  
"Hm, if you want fresh eggs today, I suggest that we start heading to town now; Valeska." he said as her name rolled off his tongue rather nicely. He tried not to pay attention to the gryfaun that had walked over, and who was starting to gesture rudely and chittering in an aggravated manner at him; insulted that he was trying to boss her friend around.  
"So you were eavesdropping.." Said Valeska to the witcher "That's ok, it could've been worse. You could have caught me bathing! Wouldn't THAT have been awkward?" She laughed as she said this, oblivious to the effect her words had on the man with cat like eyes, not catching his heated gaze.  
Schooling his face into cool nothingness, Geralt asked "Are you ready yet? I have a friend in town who'd also like to meet you."  
"Oh! Do you mean the bard?" she asked excitedly, her eyes practically shining with glee; causing Geralt's chest to barely tighten once more. "Let me get my shawl, then we can leave. Peexey, stay out of trouble while I'm gone. And NO fighting with Weezilbee!" Valeska searched for said shawl, and spotted it on a hook near where Geralt stood. Walking over, she had a nice clear view of the witcher's face. He was considerably handsome, with a well defined nose, large muscles that weren't overly bulky, a strong chin, and very brooding eyes that seemed to hide a lot of knowledge; and a lot of pain. Valeska frowned gently, but tried to push down this feeling of concern until much later; she turned to Geralt. "Ok, let's head off!" she enthusiastically said while shooing the imposing man out, before shutting and locking her oak door.  
"Today is going to be very interesting, wouldn't you agree?" Geralt asked the green eyed magic user while walking in the direction back to town.  
"Absolutely! I'm looking forward to it, I cannot WAIT to get to town. I've got so many questions for you both." Valeska replied to him, her body almost buzzing with her excitement. Geralt secretly found it endearing to meet someone with such a zest for life..  
While he was deep in his thoughts, Geralt failed to notice Valeska stoop to look at a bumblebee pause at a patch of foxgloves. After another moment, he noticed her absence, and turned to look for her; seeing her drawing quickly in a small journal she'd stashed in her bag. "So that's how Jaskier feels.. Hm." Geralt of Rivia, the White wolf; calmly sighed and walked over to her and managed to get her back on track. "This is going to be a long day." He thought as he followed slightly behind to make sure Valeska didn't get distracted again, as she skipped a bit while they continued on the small forest path to Mossdale.  
To be continued.


	3. Gut feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Valeska and Geralt head back to town, but something makes the powerful witcher hesitant to leave the young woman to her own devices. This feeling of protectiveness isn't something Geralt is used to dealing with, and it shows. At the same time, Valeska starts to appreciate having the well built man with snowy hair near her, but is reluctant to share her experiences. This chapter is told mostly from Geralt's and third person POV.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has a few harsher words this time, and depending on the individual, might be triggering. Don't be afraid to leave comments about my writing style, I'm working on it; since I don't write regularly :)

Despite her seemingly endless chatter, Geralt found he actually enjoyed listening to her. Unlike Jaskier's overly romantic views that he insisted in sharing with everyone they encountered, Valeska didn't demand that Geralt reply after every question, and with the theories & opinions she had about the world; she was far more interesting to listen to. Such as when she brought up the idea that there could be other planets, but as of yet, haven't been discovered. His eyebrows rose higher than they had in several weeks, and all he could do was respond with an interested "Hm." He allowed himself a short ponder, then asked "Do you really believe there are other worlds out there among the stars? Seems unlikely to me, but I have been wrong before.."  
Giving the tall white haired witcher an unflinching look, Valeska said "Of course! It makes no sense for us to be all that there is. Haven't you ever looked at the stars before? It looks massive up there. If the cosmos is as large as some scholars claim, then we surely can't be alone." Then she walked on as Geralt paused, a contemplative look crossing his face. He'd never thought of that before now, and he was sure that if his new acquaintance hadn't mentioned it; he most likely never would have at any point. He was enjoying this fresh perspective, and was sure this wasn't the end of her unconventional ideas. As the two got closer to town, Valeska slowed; then turned to Geralt. He looked over to her and saw she had become somewhat hesitant. "What's bothering you? It's almost midday, the market might be closing soon; so we should hurry if you want to do any real baking today."  
"Do you mind if we take a shortcut from this point?" she replied "I'd rather not have the people of Mossdale find out that I actually live in the woods. They seem friendly for the most part, but I don't want to give them a reason to hate me." Her voice lowered a little with that last part, and she seemed somewhat withdrawn now. The White Wolf could feel something akin to worry and guilt rolling off her smaller form beside him. Having been a loner most of his life, he felt a twinge of sympathy for her; and relented to spare her any unneeded dread and unease.  
"Sure, I could go for a stroll. Gives me time to appreciate the scenery." Geralt said to the once again chipper woman to his right, who had a very sunny and relieved smile on her pleasant face, making him glad that he now has a little more time to enjoy her company.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
They had made it to the market, with only an hour to spare. They made their way to the stand where some local farmer was selling a fresh dozen of eggs for two Ducats. Valeska reached into her coin purse, and gave the farmer her money. Placing the eggs into her basket, they kept walking, back towards the inn; but not before Geralt was halted by the young woman going "Aww!" gently at a small kidd that was leashed to another stall. "Isn't he just the cutest Geralt?" she asked while bending closer to look at the tiny goat. He struggled to answer, having been distracted by her movements; "Sure. Very cute, until they start chewing on your things and jumping on all of your furniture." Geralt finally managed to say, his throat a bit dry now. He was struggling with himself, trying not to stare so hard at Valeska's rear. He didn't get a chance to thoroughly admire the view though, because as the young practitioner stood; a boorish voice called out "Well Well, look who it is." But as the witcher tried to turn to the possible threat, Valeska quickly grabbed his muscular forearm; and began to try to drag him a different direction while saying in a panicked and falsely cheery voice "Oh, would you look at that! I think I see your friend waving from his window. Let's not keep him waiting!"  
Geralt being a witcher, was more in tune with the subtle shifts in other's moods and some of the more obvious feelings, but all he could sense from his lady companion; was disgust mixed with fear. His hackles rose, as he realized that she wasn't as invulnerable as he'd thought; and that the man behind them had probably done something awful to her. He'd only seen this type of reaction from women when they spoke of their overbearing husbands. Or when people discovered that he was a witcher.  
He stopped, which earned him a frustrated "What the HELL are you doing?!" and a look of pure vexation. "Let me handle this, you'd be surprised at how well I can convince people that I'm right" Geralt said while flashing the frustrated and nervous woman a wolfish grin. Turning back to face the approaching cad, Geralt fixed his whiskey colored eyes on the heavily scarred face and said "Fuck off. I don't think the lady has any business with you, so go crawl back under your rock."  
As the witcher saw the man's ugly face contort with barely hidden rage, he noticed that Valeska had shrunk behind his back, doing her best to stay as unseen as possible; which wasn't too hard because Geralt was a fair bit bigger than her. But he could hear her heart starting to pound, and his sense of smell picked up on her scent; now spoiled by the fear she was experiencing.  
While he stood there between them, unwilling to move and risk the quirky woman's safety; he was contemplating the best way to force the quarrelsome man with unkempt yellow hair to leave without having to put a fist in his face. Before he could find a good solution, the now enraged blonde bellowed out with a voice that sounded like he'd been marinating it in gin for the last decade.  
"What'd you just say to me, you mutant FREAK?!" the man shrieked "The FUCK did you say, you dog? Do you have any idea who I AM?!  
"Yeah, I know who you are" Geralt smoothly replied without flinching. "You're the village idiot, because nobody in their right mind would think to purposefully anger a witcher." he continued, watching the man's face become even uglier if it were possible. Valeska flinched behind Geralt's substantial form when the scarred man bellowed again, "I ain't scared of you, freak! I'm Yanric, and I happen to know the mayor. Though, it's difficult to grow up and not know your cousins" Yanric sneered at the witcher, shifting his gaze back to Valeska's figure; then proceeded to say "As a matter of fact, I do got's some business with this cheating wench! She owes me a decent amount, a dozen crown! You little bitch, I oughtta come over there and-!" He didn't get a chance, and neither did Geralt. Both were taken by surprise when Valeska, in her rage; had grabbed a handful of coppers and threw them at Yanric's face while practically screaming. "FUCK YOU! HERE'S YOUR DAMN MONEY YOU DEVIANT ASSHOLE! NOW STOP BOTHERING ME AND PISS OFF BEFORE I MAKE YOU!!" Valeska shouted, while the coins she threw had burned parts of the blonde mans face; having grown scorching hot from her anger. Yanric groaned as he clutched his singed face, while the White Wolf grabbed the magic user's arm to hold her back; and he pulled her along as they quickly ran back to the inn.  
"What the hell just happened?" thought Geralt, as the young woman he was holding shook from her turbulent emotions. The further away they got from the scene, the more at ease she became; judging from her scent. "Alright, you're going to explain what that was about when we get back; and then I'd appreciate it if you start answering my questions." Geralt said to the now silent woman. He paused to look at her, having become somewhat accustomed to her usually lighthearted and jubilant demeanor. As the sharp eyed witcher looked at her face, he caught sight of fresh tears about to leak out.  
"Are you really gonna let that horse's ass get to you?" he asked, trying to summon something like a jest to bring back her sunny smile. Valeska quickly blinked and wiped her eyes with her sleeves, a small grin shining through. "Thank you for your help back there Geralt. I'm sorry you had to see that though.. And I'm sorry you had to see me like this.." she said quietly while pointing a finger at herself. Geralt frowned at her words, unsure why this fascinating woman in front of him felt the need to apologize. "Stop." He said to her, making her pause before she could continue her harsh self critique; drawing her tear darkened eyes to his sculpted features. "You shouldn't have to say sorry because some entitled prick upset you. That was a pretty normal reaction to have. At least he'll survive those little burns, I can't say the same if it'd been me damaging his face." Geralt said honestly to her, watching her face as her cheeks became rosy; her pupils dilating ever so invitingly. His own vertical pupils began to dilate in response, and he had to force down a groan; feigning ignorance he strongly ground out "Jaskier is waiting upstairs. He's most likely going to pepper you with questions, probably about music."  
"That's alright, I've still got lots of questions too!" Valeska replied while opening the door to the inn, holding it open for the sizable pale haired man. Her demeanor had become jovial once more, but he could still see traces of fear and rage lingering in her soft green eyes. It disturbed the experienced witcher to see someone with such gentle eyes be able to hold that much hate in them. Geralt grabbed the door gently from her, and held it while gesturing for her to go ahead of him "Ladies first."  
The peculiar cheerful woman rolled her eyes at this, and walked past him; heading towards the stairs. Geralt didn't complain though, because he was now able to finish admiring Valeska's full figure. His pupils flared, and he silently drank in her graceful form. Then he came back to himself in time to think "That bard better be fully dressed this time."  
"Are you alright back there? You seem a bit out of it. Like you were elsewhere. I'm not one to pass judgment, I do it all the time." Valeska said to the robust amber eyed man, catching his attention. "I'm fine." He growled, getting annoyed with himself, and the probable outcome of introducing the sincere emotional woman to the lewd minstrel. "Fourth door on the right." Geralt said, his voice coming out like smokey mead; dark with a hint of sweetness. He heard her heart skip a beat, and he had to work hard to not let it affect him. Valeska had reached the door, and waited for him to join her. "No time like the present right?" she asked her reserved companion.  
"Yeah. Don't forget, I still need you to answer my questions." Geralt told her, while standing with his arms crossed in front of his powerful chest. "I know." she replied "How about we make it interesting?" she suggested, with a playful glint in her eyes. "What're you suggesting? Strip Gwent?" he said with a blatant smirk on his stubbled mouth.  
"Ha, so funny Geralt. I haven't the foggiest idea what you're saying. No, I was thinking a little game of Queek? For every point you or your friend get, I'll answer as best I can." Valeska said while admiring Geralt's thoughtful looking face. "Fine, and we'll do the same for each of your points. No lying though, because I'll be able to tell on your face." replied the stony monster killer, making sure she understood.  
"That's fine." she said as her face lit up a bit, looking away when his serious face peered at her. "Well then, in we go." said the ever upbeat woman, bringing her hand up to knock. "Come in!" came the voice of the optimistic, and resilient Jaskier. Geralt groaned, realizing his time with Valeska was at an end, for now. Heading inside the starry eyed bard's room, he made sure to shut the door, since he didn't want this opportunity of hopefully getting some answers to be wasted.  
"I hope Peexey and Weeszilbee are getting along ok." thought Valeska, as she sat down; too excited to get started to relax. "I should have left some apples out for them, I'm sure I'll have to tidy up again when I get home probably. Oh well.." she sighed as she sat down. She turned to see the smiling face of Jaskier, who looked eager to chat. "Hello! Sorry for disturbing you. You can call me Valeska if you'd like." she kindly smiled at the charmed dark haired man.  
"Oh ho ho ho, this is going to be delightful!" exclaimed Jaskier. Geralt looked at the bard, warning him with his amber eyes to behave himself. Looking out the window, Geralt spotted Yanric lurking a few buildings down. "So, you wanna explain why that guy was so determined to get to you?" the cat eyed man asked, turning to look at her face.  
His gut sank, when he saw her expression.  
To be continued.


	4. Her shame, his nightmare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Valeska hates appearing weak, even more so now that Geralt is in her life. But hiding from her past won't help her. However, she finds an unexpected shoulder to cry on, baring her soul and leaving herself open; having always worn her heart on her sleeve. What she doesn't know, is that even though she can't fathom her own strength; the witcher sees it there in her eyes. And that he would do the completely irrational to help her understand. Jaskier can see an unusual change in the yellow eyed man, something struggling to come to the surface..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a much heavier and darker chapter. This chapter contains implications of attempted rape/sexual assault. Please don't read if you feel this may trigger you. Also, another short chapter: I know. Thanks for being patient, and hopefully I can make the next one a bit longer! :)

Valeska sat there, unsure of what to say as both men stared; waiting for her answer. Geralt's stare became heavier, the longer they waited. Her eyes were looking everywhere, but him; her fingers twisting a small thread hanging from her top. Jaskier, all things considered, remained unfazed by the growing tension; gazing at her charming face. "I'd like an answer sometime today." Geralt said with an annoyed grunt.  
"Don't mind him" said the chipper bard "He's always been a bit of a surly old man." Turning to give the disgruntled witcher a wide eyed look that clearly said "Be nicer" Jaskier turned back to their guest. "What is he talking about?" he said while trying to not pester her too much. "Look, I didn't mean to burn him!" Valeska said, looking at Geralt; her face bearing a very guilty look. "I'm sorry? Did she just say she BURNED someone?" Jaskier said unbelieving, looking towards his white haired friend for confirmation. Looking back at Valeska, he was about to ask if she was serious; when she replied "Yes, but I didn't mean to. I.. I just lost my temper." she exclaimed with a deep sigh.  
"Doesn't matter if you meant to or not." Geralt said from his place by the window, still watching Yanric stalking around outside. "But that doesn't answer my question. Why was he coming after you? And what did he mean when he claimed you stole from him?" Fixing her with another steadfast look, he could see that this line of questioning was making her jittery. She was still picking at her blouse, but now her foot had started to bounce like back in her cottage. "Don't leave us in suspense, oh good lady of the woods!" Jaskier said flamboyantly, giving the now smirking young woman a wink. She giggled at his tenacity, not noticing how her smile made the white wolf's face relax; somewhat.  
"They're so kind. Geralt didn't have to help me, but it's good that he did." She thought, shivering at the idea of being cornered by Yanric; and what he might have done to her if Geralt wasn't beside her. She knew she had some magic, but she also knew that it didn't always do as she wanted. "They deserve the truth." Valeska decided, looking at Jaskier's kind face; then back to Geralt. Opening her mouth, she went on to answer the witcher's strong and troubling questions; with a question of her own. "Tell me Geralt, how many decades have you been walking this earth, hunting all kinds of creatures; but you're gonna stand there and tell me you've never come across a man who considers women as lesser? That we're only here for their amusement?" the look she gave him was not very pleasant, and there was much suffering and mortification swimming in her green eyes.. The powerfully built man with eyes like marigolds could feel a rage starting to build deep in his chest. He could tell that these questions were dredging up painful memories, and he quickly began to regret asking. Looking at her again, he watched as the bard reached for her hand to try and comfort the dusky haired woman; but she quickly pulled her hand back to her lap. "You know" Jaksier said, trying to not to feel slighted by her rejection, "I think I'll be getting us something to nibble on. I don't know about you" he said looking towards Valeska's radiant eyes, that were silently asking him to stay "But Geralt here is worse than a Chort when he's hungry. He'll never admit it though, will you?" Jaksier teased the sulky man. "Jaskier." Geralt warned gently "I thought you told me that you had a menagerie of questions for her?" as he finished asking the bard this, Valeska smiled again, less tense than before. "That's alright. I don't mind waiting. Besides, a light meal sounds great; since I forgot to eat breakfast.." she said with a sheepish smile, looking straight at Geralt's face. He could see the seriousness in her eyes, so he bided his time as Jaskier went downstairs for some refreshments, and maybe have a little chat with Bria again.  
Silence fell over the two before it was broken with her soft voice "He's angry about what happened when I first moved here.." Valeska said, her voice bitter. The man named Geralt walked over, and sat at the small table across from her; making the table appear much smaller. He breathed in, sensing that this was probably the only time she was going to tell him this. He raised his brows and started to open his mouth for more clarification when "Please wait.. I.. This is hard to talk about, so be patient with me. It's hard for me to put my feelings into words, Geralt.." fell from her soft lips.  
As he sat there, doing his best to stay calm while she processed; his instincts were telling him that he should track down Yanric. Then he remembered that Yanric was practically right outside, making Geralt's eyes grow darker with wicked intent. "Seems I'll be paying the mayor's cousin a visit tonight." he thought, coming out of his reverie when he heard her melodic voice speak up once again.  
"He found me a few days after I had moved into my cottage. I was near the church, asking the pastor if they had any old books for sale" Geralt tried not to show his faint shock at that, finding more respect for her. Becoming literate in this age is difficult for most, impossible for some. And the fact that she's a literate woman, made him more appreciative of her toughened spirit. He kept quiet as she continued "He convinced the pastor to sell me a book on herbs, then asked me if I was new in town. I said yes, and he appeared welcoming; almost like an uncle. Then he invited me to a drink at the tavern. I'm sure he could tell I was feeling awkward, but I agreed." Valeska recounted, her panic beginning to rise again. Geralt's nostrils flared, and before he could think; he reached across the small table and gently put his large hand on her shoulder. When she didn't move away, he felt reassured that she wouldn't end her story there; and that she seemed to take comfort in his presence. "You don't have to keep going if this bothers you so much." he said mildly, hoping his words weren't too harsh  
"No! I've never told this to anyone. Well, not anyone who could talk back.. I have to get this out before I lose my nerves.." said the tanned magic wielder "The time we met was much later than I had wanted, but I didn't want to raise any suspicions on my first week here. So we talked and drank.. But his face got darker, as the sky fell into pitch.. I must've either turned to speak with another person, or had gone to relieve myself; because I didn't notice that he'd slipped something into my ale." She said, looking upset and like she was going to be sick. Her palms were becoming sweaty, and her face was pale. "I can't believe I'm finally telling someone.. At least he won't be gossiping like the women at the market." she thought. Valeska risked a quick peek at his face, heart slamming in her chest when she saw the murderous look behind his cool demeanor. Forcing herself to continue, her next words made fury spread like wildfire in his chest; setting his slow heart aflame.  
"I remember coming back and taking a swig, and I also remember how his smile grew more toothy. Then I remember dancing to the music, and then being taken up the stairs, but afterward it goes black.. I recall opening my eyes, because I could feel a cold hand reaching up my tunic, and my terror at not being able to do anything besides fade out again.." her voice had cracked, and Geralt could see her eyes sparkle; threatening to shed more salty droplets. But he saw that her tears were those of rage, not sadness. The disgust grew in his stomach, but it began to settle partially as Valeska finished her tale. "But then I remember waking up, an awful screech forcing Yanric to flee in terror. I was so petrified, lying there with my chest exposed; unable to move. But you can imagine my relief at seeing only an angry gryfaun clamber out of the closet instead of something worse.. She saved me Geralt. That's the reason I've allowed her to live with me for the last three summers, even though she's more stubborn than a bull. It's a debt I'm unable to repay, but one I'd gladly keep." Valeska said, avoiding his stare; managing to keep her tears at bay. Her shimmery green eyes held a look of shame, and contentment as her chest started unclenching. "I feel so much better. It feels good, not having this burden anymore. I should tell him thanks for listening." she serenely thought, reflecting on how her words appeared to have disturbed the long haired man.  
Geralt's internal rampage fizzled out, as he sensed her mood lifting. Instead of ruminating on the subject any further, Geralt tried something new. He tried to be comforting, by reaching over to her shoulder to clasp it again and gently said to the inquisitive maid "People, especially those who deem themselves above everyone else; suck. And I'm sorry that happened to you." His saffron gaze never leaving her face, watching her reaction. He noted that her head had tilted a little, and that her eyes had a spark of excitement behind them as her delicate brows were brought closer together. Her face held mild surprise, as though she too hadn't known much kindness in her short life. "I thought people said witcher's don't have feelings? Then why does his face look so gentle right now?" was one of the many thoughts racing in her chaotic mind. The moment lasted for what felt like much longer, but was quickly broken by Jaskier's untimely return; and by him asking "Sorry that what happened?"  
Releasing an irritated snort, the witcher fixed the troublesome bard with a frosty look and was readying himself to reply, when Valeska casually said "I was just telling him about how I lost my favorite book back in Spring. I'm not sure where it could've ended up, but I hope the next person lucky enough to find it takes better care of it than I did." Geralt of Rivia decided to ignore her smooth lie for now, and nodded his head in agreement with her statement. "So what'd you bring back Jaskier? More booze?" asked the butcher of Blaviken, looking at Valeska as she blanched a bit; making the corners of his mouth lift up. "You'll get used to it." he said to her, watching as Jaskier brought some fruits along with some hard cheeses to the little table.  
She could feel her mouth water looking at the food, feeling her stomach threaten to rumble loudly. Saying a quick "Thank you" to the bard who smiled then muttered at the witcher "You could learn a few things", Valeska picked up a small bunch of grapes and popped a few into her mouth, her face becoming tranquil as sweetness exploded across her tongue.  
She let out a tiny sigh of delight, not at all paying attention as Geralt's movements stuttered briefly; then said "These are wonderful Jaskier! Thank you for going to the trouble of getting them. Question: would you like to play a game of Queek later? Also.. How do you feel about impish creatures?" These must have been the words that Jaskier had been wanting desperately to hear, as Geralt could practically feel the overjoyed man's body thrumming in the seat next to him.  
"At least SOMEONE appreciates me around here. How about you Geralt? Enjoying your grapes?" the brunette snarked, returning his admiring look to the lovely woman "And to answer you, yes and yes. This sounds like it has the makings of a fantastic tale of victory and defeat!"  
"He seems very cocky, maybe I should go easy on him.. Nah." she mused to herself, the mischievous twinkle rekindled once more; drawing a chuckle from the burly swordsman. "No cheating from either of you." said Geralt, drawing an offended gasp from his blue eyed friend; and a sweet pout from the dark haired woman. "That was uncalled for Geralt." Jaskier chided, Valeska busied herself by walking to the window while voicing her agreement.  
"Oh well, can't take back what's been said. But I did just remember that I left my Queek board at home.. So um. Would you be willing to wait until then? You're welcome to join me for dinner tonight if you'd like." She said, felling a bit embarrassed; her face and ears turning pink. "Why did I say that?!" Her stomach clenched as she tried to appear placid, her fingers picking at her cuticles out of sight of both men. "Oh, sounds wonderful! Where do you live, in a castle? Because that's the only place I could see a radiant beauty such as yourself living." Jaskier charmingly said, picking up on Geralt's growing ire.  
"I'm going to throttle him." was the simple thought on the quietly fuming witcher's mind. In an amazing feat of self restraint, Geralt turned his yellow eyes to her face, and politely accepted her offer. "We'll be there. Do you have a time you'd prefer?" He asked, as he peered out the window again, seeing no trace of the foul man from before. "Probably near nightfall Geralt. Isn't that when most normal people enjoy dinner?" the colorful minstrel sniped, looking at Valeska to see if she agreed.  
"Oh, um; I actually don't usually eat until after nightfall.. Sometimes it's hard for me to focus long enough to make dinner. But I wouldn't be bothered if you showed up early, I think I'd really enjoy your company. OH!" she said, quickly turning away. They turned to her, almost worried that something bad may have happened. "What?" asked the skilled warrior, looking over towards Jaskier for clues; sighing as he was greeted with a shrug. "I forgot! I was going to bake a cake today. But I still have chores to finish, so I should be getting home within" she took a little peek at her left wrist, while she had her back to them; a gesture the man with vertical pupils picked up on instantly "The next hour. Thank you both for your company, I'll be seeing you later." Valeska said, giving them a bright smile as she walked out of the room, leaving both the adept fighter and amorous lute player in an almost dreamy state. Neither were sure what had happened during their talk, but they both knew that they wanted to have her around more.  
"Well, that was delightful." Jaskier said, as he looked at Geralt; noting the seemingly far away look in the twin pools of honey. "Yeah, I'm gonna go try to find some new boots since the trip here ruined my other pair." He continued, glowering at the wrecked leather footwear. Looking back, he went on "I suggest you do the same. Gotta look our best for our big date." That got Geralt's attention, causing him to abruptly say "It's not a date."  
"Whatever you say big guy, but I still suggest getting ready. Can't leave the enchanting Miss Valeska waiting too long. So do your business before we have to join her this evening." his words urging the stoic man with his two swords to reevaluate the situation. "She did invite us despite knowing what I am, and it would be rude to not show up.. First things first, I need to look into her pest problem." Geralt's eyes darkened, knowing exactly where to find the loathsome urchin; having scented him nearby. Strapping only his steel blade to his back, Geralt headed to the door; stopping as Jaskier asked "Taking my advice for once in your life?" his voice smug. "I'd rather be attacked by a starving warg. But you're right about one thing, there's some business I should deal with before we meet up tonight." said the witcher, his long hair fluttering in the breeze coming from the open door. Walking out, he evenly said "Keep an eye on her if I'm late Jaskier." And with that, the pale haired hunter headed out; his target fixed firmly in his mind's eye; his gut burning with every heavy step he took.  
To be continued


	5. Questions questions questions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something's been bothering Valeska for the past few days, and she's looking forward to their game of Queek; hoping to use it as an ice breaker. Meanwhile, Geralt is running late; having done his witcher thing and tracked down the bad guy.. Now, what to do next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking a bit longer, this chapter was kinda tough. Nothing bad, but I just kept losing track of my ideas. Anyways, I think it turned out alright; and I finally made it a bit longer! I hope you guys enjoy it :)

The walk back home was blissfully uneventful, as Valeska reached her hand out to touch the long grass and bushes she passed; enjoying the soft leaves tickling her skin. She'd just walked behind the derelict old barn that hides her shortcut, turning to go down the path. "What a beautiful day, shame it started out so poorly." Valeska thought, lost to her day dreaming. She started humming a few notes to herself and kept walking, pausing briefly to look at a small stream. That's when her senses picked up on the feeling of being watched. She froze, tensing in anticipation; carefully looking around to find the source of the feeling.

She didn't need to wait long, because only a moment later a tawny shape jumped out from her right, startling her and causing her hand to fly out in defense; before realizing it was only Weezilbee. The rather docile male was looking at her worriedly, examining her with his large periwinkle eyes while twittering at her; sounding exasperated that she'd forgotten to tell him where she went. Again. She rolled her eyes at the over protective male, listening as he kept chiding her for forgetting to tell him where she was going; acting like how she expected an older brother to behave.

Glancing down at her left wrist, noting the ink there shifting only a bit; Valeska retorted "Look. The hourglass has only turned once since I left, I'm here with time to spare." she said showing the unconvinced gryfaun her tattoo. Weezilbee huffed at her, fluffed the collar of his fur; his cinnamon markings vanishing for a moment. He then walked on ahead, checking behind him every couple of yards as they made their way home. When he was satisfied that she wasn't going to do anything too terribly asinine, Weezilbee told her that he was going hunting for a little bit.

"Alright then. We're going to have some guests later." Valeska told him, still walking further from town. She watched him bristle, and quickly tried to soothe him "Oh! Don't be like that! They're good people.. One of them helped me when Yanric tried to talk to me." The owl faced creature turned to look at her, gauging her mood by watching the subtle changes on her face. He paused on the path and waited for her to catch up, picking at his rack while he waited. When she got close enough, he stood fully upright, and chirped his approval; before going off into the brush in search of a decent meal. "At least I only have to worry about one gryfaun tonight. Shit, I still need to do a load of laundry when I get back."

She grimaced, remembering everything she had to do before nightfall. Letting out a long sigh, she started walking once again, trying to ignore the birds singing; and all the beautiful plants growing along her normal route."I feel like this is going to be a long night, but I don't think it'll be boring. Not while they're visiting anyways." her sluggish mood began to fade, to be replaced with fluttery excitement; making her palms sweat and forcing her to walk with more haste.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
She'd made it home with a few hours before nightfall, smiling gratefully at her little home as she walked through the heavy door. Peexey was resting on her bed in the sleeping nook, but lifted her antlered head, blinking her vivid eyes; and let out a sleepy whine. "My, how I wish I could lay around all day." Said the woman with dark ash brown tresses, a smug look on her face, as her friend stretched with a feline grace; and came over to her. The temperamental stray only came up to Valeska's mid thigh, but she hid her strength well. As Peexey stood there, she watched the woman gather ingredients; confused as to the reason behind her friend's desire to cook. She tapped on Valeska's leg, gesturing to the mixing bowl and eggs; her question obvious. "Geralt's coming by again later. He's bringing his companion too. Oooh, maybe he'll sing us a song! But, if he does pull out his lute, you need to ask BEFORE you touch it."

Peexey let out a disgruntled noise, before walking over and hopping up onto the windowsill. She watched as the woman with boundless energy drag out an old book, find the recipe she was looking for, reread it a few times; and start measuring ingredients. As the impish being watched, she was brought back into the moment when her friend asked " Peexey, can you do me a little favor? Would you please help me clean up a bit before they get here? I'd really appreciate it if you were to put away any books and writing utensils back where they belong." Valeska's gentle eyes pleaded softly at the peeved gryfaun. After weighing the benefits, the forest dweller with striking dove grey fur agreed, but added that she'd only do it if she could have some cake later. Smiling at her small victory, but not unkindly; Valeska conceded and got back to work.

It took nearly three hours to get her home ready for her guests. She'd succeeded in cooking a half decent meal of sage and thyme roasted rabbit with garlic potatoes. The cake she was particularly proud of, because she'd remembered to pull it out before it burned. But in the process, Valeska had gotten a bit sweatier than she liked, and had flour all over her clothes. "Ugh, this feels disgusting!" peering out one of the windows, she saw that it wasn't dusk yet; so she decided to have a quick wash down. Grabbing a clean cloth, she hung her kettle over the small fire; and got her other bathing essentials ready. Once the water was nice and warm, but not too hot, she emptied the kettle into her small wash tub; and quickly stripped down to her bare skin behind her screen. She grabbed her luscious smelling soap and started lathering it with the cloth, and began scrubbing her weather beaten skin; removing the sweat she hated so much. When Valeska was happy with her efforts, she tossed the dirty water out the window, dried herself off; and began redressing in some clean garments.

Only half an hour later, there was a knock on her door. "That must be them!" she thought, grinning as she quickly headed over to open the door. Upon opening, she noticed that it was Jaskier standing there, practically in awe of her quaint home. "Oh, what a perfect spot! Your home is lovely Valeska. Thanks for the invitation! What is that delectable smell? Is that pheasant?" the bard said, strolling inside like he owned the place. "Rabbit actually. But that won't bother you will it?" she asked as she stepped outside and peered around, looking for any sign of white hair. Walking back in, she could see the musician was looking around, but stopped as he looked at an open book on her table. There were some sketches inside, detailing a piece of machinery, but Jaskier couldn't tell what it was. "Oh no! Why didn't she put that away?!" Valeska thought, as she started to internally panic. Striding across to the table, she grabbed her journal from Jaskier and said "Whoops, I must've missed that one when we were cleaning earlier! Let me just go put it back on the shelf. Also, where's Geralt? I'm pretty certain he heard me this afternoon when I mentioned dinner." Turning to meet the bard's cornflower blue eyes, Valeska smirked as he tried to come up with an excuse for the witcher's absence "Ah, well he's.. Uh, he's just doing his witcher thing; looking for jobs and such." Jaskier could feel himself begin to sweat under her intense gaze, "Indeed? Well, I suggest we find something to do to occupy our time while we wait. Would you be willing to show us your lute Jaskier?" Valeska asked him, warmth and the fireplace making her sea green eyes sparkle. Releasing his shaky breath, Jaskier pulled the lute from it's case and held it lovingly while he flashed the accommodating maid a grin. "Of course! But, who's 'us'?"  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Geralt's patience was beginning to fray, having slowly walked through most of the back alleys looking for Yanric, with no luck yet. It was now dusk, making him all the more frustrated, since he knew he should be elsewhere. "Dammit! Why is this taking so long? He should've been easier to track." he contemplated as his large but graceful form walked down another alley. After a quarter hour, his senses felt a pull back towards the path to Valeska's cottage. He'd placed a single Yrden on the ground right in front of the trail, and it was now telling him that his trap had been sprung. His annoyance shifted to worry, the thought of the treacherous man knowing where she lived unsettling him. But Geralt refused to let it show on his stubbled pale face as he made his way to the trail.

When he arrived, the darkness clinging to him, perfectly hiding him from view; he could see the awful man laying on the ground and was struggling to get up. "Must've taken a full blow." thought Geralt, before angrily rushing the scarred man; grabbing him by the front of his shirt and hoisting him off the ground. Yanric's ugly face became white, as his eyes met those of the enraged witcher; the one other's called the Butcher of Blaviken. His stomach grew queasy, and he feared he would be killed on the spot! "So, out for a moonlit walk are we? Gotta say, I'm impressed that you decided to be so brazen about trying to find her. Though now, that boldness is exactly why you're about to be put in the ground.." Geralt growled low in his throat, watching the sorry waste of air panic and struggle, trying to bargain with the angry snowy haired man. "Unless you want to be fed in pieces to the local dogs, you will leave her be. She is under my protection now, and I won't hesitate a second time." the witcher's gravelly voice said in a hushed tone, still holding Yanric a few feet off the ground; a menacing look behind his saffron eyes.

Dropping the man unceremoniously to the ground, Geralt crossed his powerful arms over his strapping chest; and watched as Yanric attempted to regain his footing as he fled back towards Mossdale without even a glance behind him. Geralt could feel the tension leave his muscles, as he spun around; walking on the path to her home. Walking in the darkness didn't bother him, so Geralt didn't feel any need for a torch. There was a soft noise to his left, and the burly man stopped; listening and looking for the source. That's when he spotted a gryfaun, but he could tell this one was different. For starters, this one was a handsome shade of russet; and was preoccupied with eating a large mouse. Secondly, it was larger than the female from earlier; leading Geralt to suspect it was a male. As he continued walking, the gryfaun looked up with wide eyes at the witcher; then quickly ran back into the coverage of the underbrush. "Hm." was all Geralt said.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Finally arriving at the cottage, his sensitive ears picked up on the strumming of a lute; and a relieved sigh left him. "At least Jaskier was here. She wasn't completely alone." he silently thought. Taking a moment to fully appreciate her home, his yellow eyes roved over the wide selection of herbs and flowers growing in the small garden in front. He could see lots of ivy snaking up the sides and around windows, giving her home an almost fairy-tale like charm.

Geralt headed towards the door and knocked gently, smiling when he heard her sweet voice "Oh, that should be Geralt! Good thing he's finally decided to show up, otherwise I would've had to go looking myself." He chuckled lightly at that, staring down as Valeska swung the heavy door open, the scents of both her and the meal hitting him; making his mouth water. "And how would you have managed to do that? You don't strike me as a tracker or a bounty hunter, so I'm curious; how were you planning to find me?" his amber eyes full of mirth as she struggled to think of something. "Alright, I'm not sure HOW I would've searched for you. But that's not the point. The point is, I would've found you again somehow."

"Mhm.." Geralt said, his eyes betraying his growing interest. Looking over at Jaskier, his brows rose as he saw the tawny male from earlier. "Another friend of yours?" Geralt asked aloud, watching the male reach out and pluck a string on Jaskier's lute. "Don't worry your pretty head Geralt." Valeska replied jokingly, giggling at the befuddled look that crossed his angular face "that's just Weezilbee. And yes, he is another friend of mine. More like a caretaker, not that I mind. He's very good at helping me not be so.. Chaotic. At any rate, supper is ready; and we still have a game of Queek to play."

So the trio sat down at her table, and began to enjoy the meal of roast rabbit; making small talk. "Geralt! Did you know this woman is a brilliant?" the bard said, his mouth full of potatoes. Geralt's eyes flicked between them, watching her face become a fetching shade of pink; and his ears heard her quick intake of air. "Uh, I'm not sure that 'brilliant' is the word I would use." Valeska said shyly, as Jaskier looked at her with a look that read "C'mon now."

"Really Valeska?" the bard said casually, drawing her attention "You're the only person I've ever met in all my travels who's figured out how to get a donkey to wash your clothes. Very brilliant if I do say so myself! And I did, so.." Jaskier took a swig of the ale the young woman had brought out for them, as Geralt got a skeptical but curious look on his angular face. "What?.. I'm sure I missed something, but how DO you get a donkey to wash your clothes? Might be useful for me in the future." "You're damn right Geralt, seeing as you tend to wind up covered in viscera all the time." Jaskier remarked, ignoring the glare he received. "Well I hate to leave you wanting, Geralt. But I think now would be the best time for our game." said the humble magic wielder.

Standing up, she made to clear the table when Weezilbee trotted over to lend a hand. "Thanks Weezilbee." she said, putting the dirty dishes in a small bucket so she could take them to the little stream nearby for cleaning. As she walked past Geralt who was still seated, he caught a whiff of sweet soap; and cursed Yanric again for wasting his time. Had he arrived sooner, the swordsman was sure he could've gotten an eyeful. But the past is the past, and all he can do is look forward to the future. A future that Geralt was sure, and secretly hoped; to have a certain compassionate and enthusiastic young woman accompany him.

"So, who wants to go first?" Valeska asked the two, her eagerness almost contagious. She set the board on the table as Weezilbee watched, fascinated and wondering what their guests would do next. He sat beside the bard, considering him a safer bet than the intimidating man with white hair. "Ladies first I think right?" the brunette man said, looking at Geralt for his agreement. Inhaling, the White Wolf looked at his companion, then to the maid with green eyes; and nodded his head. "Suite yourselves." she said shrugging her slender shoulders. Taking a smooth stone from the pouch, she called out "White!" before tossing it a good height above the board.

When her stone landed on white, Valeska gave a triumphant exclamation of "Yes!", which made the accomplished witcher pause; enjoying the sound of her happiness. As Jaskier booed her in a teasing manner, she looked up at Geralt to see his reaction. The two made eye contact, his smouldering whiskey flashing in the firelight; holding her spring colored eyes briefly. She flushed as her heart beat marginally sped up. "Fuck." thought Geralt, as her lips parted; drawing his gaze for only a moment. 

"So, mind if I ask my question now?" she asked, glancing at Jaskier and Geralt. Neither one objected, though Geralt seemed unable to object to anything at that point. Valeska clapped her hands gently, then proceeded "So, this has been bothering me a little.. My question is: why exactly are you here in Mossdale? What is it you're hunting?.."  
To be continued.


	6. Queek and Cake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Questions need answers, so being a gracious host; that's precisely what Valeska does. She answers whatever questions come her way, enlightening Geralt to more aspects of her addictive personality.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the very late update, been a bit busy. So this chapter, is more of like a relaxation and getting to know each other (sort of) type of chapter. And yes, there is something in the last chapter that originates from a different universe; all credit to them! I do not own the original idea for the donkey powered washing machine :) I promise the next chapter will be more exciting, I have a lot of things planned!

To say he was caught off gaurd would be an understatement. Geralt felt his saffron eyes widen, completely stunned that she had asked such a shrewd question. Clearly their lovely host was more observant than she lets on. His shock must have been peeking through his calm front, because he noticed a small spark of pride in Valeska's eyes; as though she was proud that she was able to get a reaction from the typically stoic and level headed monster hunter.

The corners of Geralt's mouth lifted a bit, amused that she was able to so easily render him speechless for any length of time. The witcher locked his heavy gaze on her and evenly replied "That's two questions. Which one do you want the answer to? Because you can't have both, since you only scored one point so far." His smirk grew as the quirky woman huffed, and gave him an almost charming look of irritation as she opend her mouth to say "Don't play coy with me Geralt, you know which question I mean."

As the two sat there, Valeska waiting for an answer; Jaskier sat near the end of the table and watched their exchange. He watched in awe as the man he considered indomitable, gave in to the pouting maid so easily; and left Jaskier dumbfounded at her ability to bend the seasoned witcher to her desires. Almost as if she were doing it unknowingly.. If that was the case, the prismatic bard supposed that he couldn't hold it agaisnt their splendid host; and knew he could trust her. She did feed them, and nothing bad has happened to them so far.

"Me, coy? Unlikely Valeska. You just need to be more precise with your questions next time." Geralt said, while flashing her the white of his teeth. "We're here on a job. The town posted a flyer in Beauclair, asking for someone with experience to help figure out if the townspeople had angered a nearby forest spirit. That's what we're inspecting now." He grit his teeth together, knowing that this answer probably wouldn't satisfy her curious mind, but for now; it would have to suffice.

Grabbing a stone, it was the witcher's turn now. Tossing it up, he called out "White." and shook his head when it landed on black. "It was a good try Geralt. Better luck next round." Valeska said warmly while shrugging her shoulders. Up next was Jaskier, who was reaching for a stone already. Looking at it thoughtfully, he tossed it up; and called out "Black!" Then looked up with a smarmy grin when it landed where he guessed. Similar to the cat that caught the canary, wondering out loud what he should ask. "There are just so many questions, like; have you ever had a lover before?.. But I doubt you'll answer that one."

Her face had become a bright shade of pink like hollyhock, and her scent became more apparent, to Geralt at least, as her glimmering eyes widened just a bit; all while she put on a gallant effort to not let her calm demeanor falter and said "Well we certainly can't wait all night for you to think about it, so decide soon please." The bard looked over to her, and finally decided what question he would ask. "Yeah, good point. Well then, I believe my question for you is: how did you come to posses the singing voice of an angel?"

"Is that really your question?" Valeska said while holding his lapis eyes, a quizzical expression written on her face. When he only nodded, she shrugged once again; and said "I simply practice. There's no secret, just daily practice. You also sing, so this should come as no surprise to you. I'm certain Geralt here could tell you that practice leads to a better performance, no matter what it is that you're practicing."

"Indeed" said Geralt in his baritone voice, pearl white hair shifted as he nodded his agreement, his sharp eyes watching as her soft looking hand grabbed another stone. They had come full circle, and it was Valeska's turn again. She turned the stone a few times, while trying to think of a decent question. However, as she was going to toss it in the air, there was a small crash in one of the corners; making only Jaskier visibly jump. Everyone cast their eyes that direction, unable to miss the way Peexey had climbed up onto the counter and was trying to grab the cake. Weezilbee was on the floor, looking just as guilty. His sky blue eyes wide and his large ears flat against his head, he appeared as though he'd been trying to convince Peexey to share with him; but now he only had an apologetic look on his face. Time seemed to stall briefly, before the reality of the situation sunk in fully. Standing quickly, Valeska headed over to the duo while saying things like "Barbaric little beasts"; she made it over as Peexey hopped out the open window.

"You said you would behave yourself tonight! So RUDE!" the woman cried out while looking out aforementioned window. The pair still at the table shared a small laugh as the chaotic arcane maid chastised the larger gryfaun, his antlered head lowered in shame. Jaskier looked over at his gruff companion, and could see something shining in his amber eyes. Taking this opportunity he asked quietly "So Geralt, whaddya think?" He was prepared for the withering look he got in return, smirking slightly at the witcher's annoyance. "Fuck off bard." was his response.

"Fine fine. Maybe another time." Jaskier whispered as Valeska returned to the table, taking her seat. "Sorry about that, those two usually know better." she stated, picking up her stone again. She thought for a moment, then tossed it up and said "Black." She then sighed in defeat, handing the pouch of rocks to Geralt; where his gloved fingers gently brushed hers. A tiny spark seemed to pass between them, but was quickly stifled. Pulling out a stone, Geralt considered for a moment, looked over at Jaskier who was busy attempting to speak with Weezilbee; then tossed it. Quickly calling "Black", he was relieved he'd finally gotten a point. "I wonder what she'll reply with" he thought, and he settled on a question.

"Going back to your singing" the normally impassive witcher said, bringing the bubbly woman's attention back to him "Care to tell me just what it was you were doing out there, in the company of two wardens of the forest?" he asked, watching her body stiffen ever so slightly. She brought her warm eyes up, looking away from her small friend; thinking how to word this complicated answer. "Being honest is probably going to get me the furthest with these two, especially Geralt.." Valeska, being an occasionally brash young woman; had no time to filter before saying the first honest answer that came to her mind. "It was a fertility dance." She stated very matter-of-factly.

It took Valeska a few moments to realize, after seeing the bewildered looks on both of their faces; that that wasn't the answer either of the men expected. Then she had a brief moment of insight before further indulging them "Oh! NO, not for me! No thank you. I meant it was a fertility dance for the land, so it can remain prosperous.." the thought of ever falling with child deeply disturbed her. She knew the likelihood of her choosing to have a family of her own was tiny at best. While she sat there lost in her own thoughts, Geralt released a small terse breath he wasn't aware that he was holding in. He wasn't sure why the idea of this chaotic, odd, kind; generous woman being shackled into such a dull existence bothered him so much. He knew that he'd have to pursue it more thoroughly another time. For now, he'll just enjoy her company and continue with his exploration tomorrow.

And so the evening went, the trio continued their game of Queek; each asking their more pressing questions. The game ended, when Jaskier beat them to ten points, earning a large slice of cake as his prize. As Valeska handed him his cake, she couldn't stop herself from giggling at his now saucer sized eyes. Taking a large bite, the bard moaned in such a manner that it made their host flush hotly. "This is so delicious! You made this yourself? I could just live off this, it's so wonderful!" The indulgent brunette ducked her head in gratitude and slight sheepishness, and replied while handing Geralt a plate of cake "It's only honeyed pears and walnuts, but I'm happy you're enjoying it so passionately. Do you think I should try a different fruit next time?"

The adept fighter took a bite, out of politeness mostly not being overly fond of sweets himself; but quickly changed his mind. At that moment, Geralt knew that he either had to learn to bake; or invite the powerful magic user to join them if he wanted to keep enjoying her cooking. "But I'll have to act none too keen about it, can't risk her safety too much." he considered. Hastily dispatching his serving, the Butcher of Blaviken got up to take care of his dirty plate. He was a guest after all. Looking over to Jaskier and Valeska having a discussion about which fruits are best for baking, he walked over to the pair and made it known that it was now time to depart.

"Thank you for having us this night. It was needlessly kind of you, and the meal was lovely. But, there's still a few things I need to do while we're here in town; so the bard and I will need our rest. We'll catch up with you another time perhaps, but we need to head back to the inn." Geralt said as he watched Jaskier pack up his lute. Valeska stood, barely coming up to the burly man's chin; and walked them to her door. As the two stepped into the cool summer night air, she smiled warmly at the witcher and said "This was more than I was expecting. You're both wonderful company, and I would LOVE to have another visit before you leave Mossdale. Don't be a stranger!" were her last words to the pair, as she waved to them and she shut her door; chuckling quietly as she heard Jaskier say "Why do I have to leave? You're the one who's doing all the real work." only to hear Geralt reply "Because I want to stay on her good side, and I don't trust you to remain a complete gentleman when I'm not around."

"Well that was certainly fascinating. It was nice just being able to talk with them, and having an even playing field helped. At least they enjoyed the cake." thought Valeska, clearing the table and putting away the Queek board. Afterwards, she started getting ready for bed; and made sure all her windows were locked with the curtains drawn. She was in the middle of fluffing her pillow, when she heard a small *tap tap* on her door. Valeska strode over, and let Peexey back in; sensing that it was only the smaller gryfaun at the door. The smoky female shook her coat, dislodging a few small twigs onto the floor and hopped onto a nearby chair. Peexey raised her head and began warbling and started to gesture with her paws. She was actually apologizing!

"I forgive you Peexey, you know I always will. Next time though, can you please be more patient? There's also a slice of cake for you and Weezilbee, but it'll have to wait until breakfast." Valeska said to the now begging gryfaun. After a few minutes of nothing but sad trills and even sadder eyes from Peexey, the young woman sighed heavily and said "Fine. But only tonight." Blowing out her candles and climbing into the sleeping nook, she snuggled herself deeply into her soft blankets; eagerly awaiting the next time she'd get a visit from the impressive witcher. She drifted off to sleep about an hour later, unaware that she wasn't the only one dealing with a bout of insomnia.  
To be continued.


	7. Update, not a chapter

Hey everyone who's enjoying this story so far. :) Sorry to disappoint you, but this isn't a chapter. I wanted to post this update real fast, because I feel like I owe you guys an explanation for why I haven't posted another chapter yet. Unfortunately, my laptop decided to crash; and I had to have it repaired. But good news, it's working; and I managed to save all the data that was on it! So, hopefully I'll have chapter seven out soon, and I wanted to say thanks for being so patient with me :D


	8. Ch 7, All Roads lead Somewhere

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another strange event happens, that Geralt isn't sure how to handle. But that doesn't matter, at least not yet. What does matter, at least to the accomplished witcher, is getting paid his dues; and gathering up more details on this job he's agreed to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey again, just me with a hopefully not too short chapter. This chapter focuses more on Geralt, and the slightly more boring aspects of working a contract. Just wanted to say thank you guys for sticking with me so far! :D <3

The witcher stepped out into the darkened forest as Valeska shut the door behind them. He paid no mind when the bard griped "Why do I have to leave? You're the one who's doing all the real work." Turning to study the brunette's clearly annoyed face, Geralt replied "Because I want to stay on her good side, and I don't trust you to remain a complete gentleman when I'm not around." He started onto the trail towards town, almost leaving Jaskier behind as he heard a breathy little chuckle come from within the cottage at his remark; making him want to give himself a pat on the back for being able to so easily make her laugh. The White Wolf wasn't entirely sure as to what he should be feeling when it comes to making others laugh, but he knew he felt some pride that she found him humorous; but not in a mean spirited way.

He contemplated his next move carefully, since Geralt wanted to give the people of Mossdale no reason to come after the gentle woman living in the woods. And thinking back, he recalled that she said her dance was to help keep the land fertile; meaning something may have cursed it previously. It was time for the witcher to start questioning the townspeople about life before Valeska's arrival. And the best place to start would be where people enjoyed gathering, such as the inn or at the market. "I'll ask the innkeeper once we get back, after a drink first though." Geralt mused silently, listening to the bard's continued bellyaching. Looking back, the man with pearly hair asked "Are you not excited to see that barmaid again Jask?"

"What? Oh, do you mean Bria? Absolutely, her talents aren't limited to cooking; if you take my meaning." the colorful peacock of a man replied, waggling his eyebrows knowingly at Geralt; who only rolled his whiskey colored eyes and continued walking. "Since you're so eager to see her, then you can imagine my confusion at your grumbling about having to leave our new contact.." the White Wolf stated, while glancing back at his optimistic traveling companion; smirking as the bard quietly mimicked him. 

The rest of the journey back was uneventful, which Geralt was grateful for. He now had an opportunity to observe the dense foliage that covered the forest and sheltered the peculiar young woman's home. He could sense that summer was coming to an end, and that autumn would be upon them soon. But as they walked, he sensed something else. Or rather, he sensed the lack of something. Try as he might, Geralt of Rivia couldn't sense anything hostile in the forest. No leshen, nor foglers. Not even any giant centipedes.. "Strange. There's normally something that needs to be avoided when walking in a forest.." the robust and pale man thought. Geralt decided that he would ponder more about the lack of monsters at a later time, and for now; he would simply enjoy the scenery. His enhanced senses allowed him to notice all the subtle changes happening in the forest, such as the leaves turning yellow little by little; or how there were no more nesting birds. The tiny hatch-lings that herald in spring, had now grown up and left the nest.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Later that evening, as the world sank into pitch and the townspeople slept, the witcher sat at a table near the bar; nursing his second tankard of ale. His eyes glowing in the firelight as he watched Jaskier and Bria head off to the bard's room, making Geralt shake his mane of white hair; irritated that the bard was the only one of the pair getting any action as of late. "I'll worry about that later. Need to speak with the innkeeper about this contract, something feels off." Downing the rest of his drink, he stood and walked to the bar, flagging down the older man behind the counter.

"How can I help ye witcher? I think I mayhaps forgotten me manners, folks call me Gustall. Been living in these parts for over a score now, so if you need to know where to go; I'll be happy to point you the right way." The craggy man said, eyeing the warrior in black somewhat warily. Seating himself on one of the stools across from the old barkeeper, Geralt thought carefully. "I need some information about this contract. Who runs this inn?" He asked, watching Gustall scratch his beard thoughtfully. "That honor belongs to none other than Desiric de Bernieres, the local lord. Though truth be told," an annoyed glint in his rheumy eyes, "He's only a lord because his cousin, the lovely Anna Henrietta; wanted him out of her hair. Can't fully blame her, the lad gets into more trouble than a fox in a henhouse.."

Gustall turned from the golden eyed monster slayer to attend to another patron, giving Geralt a moment to figure out his next questions. "So, I have more questions for you Gustall." The White Wolf said, getting the barkeep's attention once more "This contract has me looking in Caed Myrkvid, because apparently folks around here have been pissing themselves over some strange music from near the heart of the forest.. Could you perchance tell me how long this has been happening, and what things were like before the music started up?" Geralt asked, his baritone voice rumbling out as he watched the wrinkles on the barkeep's bearded face deepen; as the elder contemplated.

"Hm, I can't rightly say just how long it's been happenin" the old man said as he scratched his beard once more, a focused look on his face "At least two winters it'd be I think. Oh but things weren't always so peaceful here in Mossdale; believe that Sir Witcher. Tis true that the music is peculiar, but tis also true that most fear what they don't understand. Though most say it must be a curse of a wicked nature, I think we may have won the favor of a kindly forest spirit."

"That so?" the snowy swordsman asked "What gives you that impression?" The question left his mouth, as his eyes studied the bearded man; looking for any signs of deception. "Why, we haven't had such good harvests as these last few in Gods know how many years! This past winter, we saw no one had starved or resorted to cooking the family pet; for the first time in a long time. And none of the children were sent down the trail of treats this year." Gustall earnestly replied, his eyes fogging up with sentiment; making Geralt slightly uncomfortable. It was obvious from his demeanor, that the old barkeep had lost some one close not many winters ago; and that the wound was still sore.

"Please Sir Witcher" the forlorn looking barkeep said quietly, breaking Geralt from his reverie "Please don't kill whatever it is that'd be living in those woods, I beg of ye. I only have one grandchild left, and I don't wish to lose her too." Gustall forced out, looking at the White Wolf with pleading damp eyes. The stoic witcher considered the man's desperate pleas for mercy, to spare the supposed creature; making Geralt happy to oblige his request. It was never his intention to harm the odd singer. He sighed heavily, and looked at Gustall's wrinkled face. "You have my word that I'll try my best not to harm whatever it is that's made those woods it's home. But if it attacks me, I can't make any promises; hope you understand."

"Oh bless ye Sir Witcher! You have my thanks, and the next tankard is my treat." Gustall gratefully said, a smile making it's way onto his rough weathered face. The witcher accepted the drink with a nod, before deciding to take a chance with something. "One more thing Gustall. Have there been any monster attacks in the area recently? Color me curious." Geralt asked, his brows raised only a bit as he regarded the old man. The bearded barkeeper stopped what he was doing, as he tried to recall any gossip he'd heard recently. "As a matter o' fact, I can't. I can't even remember the last time I'd heard of anything beyond a normal pack of dogs, or a wandering bear. Quite strange, now that I think about it. But, I'm not one to question a gift from the Gods. Sorry I couldn't be any more help to ye.."

Nodding his head, Geralt sat there; trying to figure out where to look next. Clearly, the next step would be to find Desiric de Bernieres and pay him a visit; and try to convince him that the creature in the woods wasn't a threat. "I'll just tell him there's a benevolent forest spirit that's decided to watch over the town. Hopefully, that'll satisfy him and I can collect. Not sure what I'm gonna do if he asks for proof, but I'll figure that out in the morning; then we can get ready to leave. I'll need to visit her as well sometime tomorrow.." The witcher thought to himself, finishing up the rest of his ale; and starting for the stairs to his room.

As he was walking up, the hairs on the nape of his pale neck rose, making the White Wolf slow his pace; using his senses to try and pinpoint the source. But no matter how hard he focused, he couldn't figure out where it was coming from. Just as quickly as it had arrived, the strange feeling vanished; leaving Geralt slightly tensed. "Hm." he mused, continuing towards his room; intent on getting some rest and relief. He never noticed the pair of brassy eyes watching him from the depths of the polished shield that hung on the wall near the fireplace..

To be continued


	9. The plot thickens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not sure how to summarize this one, but I hope you all enjoy it nonetheless! I will say there are some saucy bits in this chapter ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ****WARNING! This chapter has mature content!**** I want to thank you all for being so patient while I worked through some writer's block! That was annoying, but hopefully it won't keep being an issue. I also want to say that I have no set plans with this fic, and that things might change here or there, but trust me when I say I'm doing my best to make this make sense and still be a good read. I'm only planning on uploading new chapters once a month from this point, since I'm struggling a bit to have scenes transition more smoothly. Part of why I took so long with this one was 1) I was writing something outside my normal comfort zone, 2) I'm currently reading the Witcher series to get a better grasp on the characters so they come across better; and 3) I'm currently playing the Blood and Wine dlc for Witcher 3. Enjoy!

That night, Geralt was for the second night in a row; having a difficult time falling asleep. He kept thinking back to their game earlier, and how the light from the fireplace complimented Valeska's eyes; making them dance like stars in the night sky. It nearly took his breath away when she looked at him with those lively evergreen eyes, making him shift uncomfortably on the bed; as his body became flushed with heat. He groaned softly as he remembered her dance from when he found her in the forest, how exposed her soft body was as she swayed in time to the music; his breath coming out in a huff as his lower muscles began to tense up. He could feel his length begin to harden, making Geralt disappointed that the nearest brothel was back in Beauclair. He'd have to take care of this himself when he wasn't so tired. He was still recovering from the last contract he had worked, almost a week ago now. He had been called out to a small farm more than ten miles backwards, to deal with a nasty young forktail. The beast had been picking off not just the animals, but had begun to take the farm hands as well; and had only left three people alive. The forktail was very inexperienced in combat, probably only a few years old; and fell beneath his blade with hardly any problem. Save for managing to land a solid blow with its strong tail, giving Geralt some ugly bruises and at least one fractured rib.

He sighed, laying the back of a large hand over his eyes; trying his best to drift off. He felt a twinge of guilt pull at his tired mind, not knowing how the appealing woman would react if she were to discover what he was doing; seeing as they barely knew each other. He groaned again, this time in mild frustration at his predicament. He pulled the blanket further up his broad chest, snapped his fingers; and effectively snuffed out the candle on the dressoire in the corner. The White Wolf closed his glowing eyes, thinking of everything except the delightfully odd Source living in the woods as he slowly drifted into the warm arms of unconsciousness.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Holding her trembling form closely to his much larger frame, Geralt backed them towards to her bed; as their mouths met with a scorching kiss. He felt his hands gain a life of their own, as they traveled over her voluptuous form; kneading along her hips and bringing Valeska closer. Climbing onto the mattress, they broke apart briefly so Geralt could peer into her beguiling eyes. He could feel his cock harden at the look he saw grace her beautiful features. It was a look of unbridled lust, so genuine; that it could rival the most long lived of succubi. But there was also an endearing timidness to the spirited young brunette.

The flame in Valeska's belly grew, when she saw the torrid look of hunger cross the witcher's stubbled face, as he slowly devoured her smaller figure with his cat like eyes; clearly undressing her as he went. Bringing her soft lips back to the raging wildfire that was his mouth, his hands wandered under her skirt; and he greedily swallowed the needy little sighs that escaped. The steady swordsman grunted softly when her hands found their way into his sleek mane of white, drawing another groan as her sharp little nails scraped across his scalp. Releasing her lips, Geralt began to place hot little kisses against her jaw; sneaking a peek at her rapturous face. His ears were filled with the chorus of her small moans and sighs, now that his mouth was occupied with leaving a tender trail against her flushed skin; as he made his way lower. 

Her small hands were tangled in his hair, keeping him as close as she could manage; all while Geralt's mouth wandered towards the tops of her heaving breasts. He stopped long enough to quickly unlace the ties of her top, surprising Valeska with his gentleness. As her top came off, Geralt pulled away to admire the beauty before him, in awe at the way her skin glistened softly in the candlelight; but became confused when she gingerly placed her arms across her chest. It was as if she had grown uncertain of herself.. "This won't do." the witcher thought, as he reached over to Valeska's face; caressing gently. Tipping her face up so he could look into her eyes, Geralt said "You shouldn't feel ashamed, or that you need to hide. You're beautiful." She studied his face, eyes flicking to the scar along the left side; fearing this was a trick. Before she could respond, his mouth was upon her again; and her heart skipped a beat. That caught the witcher's attention, bringing his amber eyes up again to look at her, worried that something may be wrong; Geralt was surprised to see Yennefer's face there instead. With a start, he realized this was a dream; and nothing was real.

Bolting upright while half asleep was not something Geralt enjoyed. "Fucking dammit." he groaned, looking about his room as he remembered it was all just a dream. Sighing with relief, or disappointment he wasn't sure which; the White Wolf decided now was as good of a time as any to quickly relieve himself of the building tension in his body. Staying under his blanket, Geralt grasped his stiffening manhood and thought back to his dream; while lazily stroking himself. Reservations forgotten, his breath began to quicken as his hand picked up the pace; and he imagined it was a certain brunette that was doing the stroking. He could feel the tension behind his navel building, swiftly bringing him to completion; though he was not fully satisfied if he were being honest. "I really need to sort out my priorities.." Geralt pondered as he dressed for the day, determined to speak with Lord Desiric de Bernieres about his contract; finally settling on his questions that he'd ask. There was a small tilt to his lips, a tiny smile as he knew that he wasn't going to be speaking to just the local lord today.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Valeska awoke that morning feeling giddy and wasn't certain as to why, but had a reasonable guess. She wasn't bothered though, being used to having random feelings most days; and was more concerned about the rumbling in her midsection. "Now, to figure out what to make.. Weezilbee might have a few suggestions." She stretched her arms gracefully, and arched her back; grunting with satisfaction as she heard a few pops. Kicking the heavy blanket off of her, she shivered and pulled an ugly face when her smallish feet touched the cold stone of the floor. She stood and began gathering her clean clothes for the day, picking a frilly charcoal grey dress with a square neckline and delicate plum colored stitching, paired with a small black choker with a racoon bone dangling from the center. 

After she dressed, Valeska moved towards her kitchen; noticing that the aforementioned gryfaun was already waiting for her. She smiled warmly at him, "Good morning Weezilbee! I hope you slept well. Are you hungry this morning?" she said while digging out a mixing bowl and the ingredients for blueberry hotcakes. Glancing over her shoulder, she could see the handsome gryfaun nod his antlered head with great enthusiasm; as she chuckled and continued with getting their breakfast in order. Once she had finished her small stack of hotcakes, Valeska allowed her eyes and mind to wander; not sure what to do this day. "I think I'll go out to the garden and try to get this cross stitch finished finally." she mused to herself out loud, getting her supplies to do just that. "Hmm, maybe I should make this more interesting?" the sunny magician thought.

Walking over to her sleeping nook, she pulled open a hidden drawer in the frame; and pulled out a box the size of a shoe that was studded with tiny gems. She opened it, and pulled out a narrow pipe made from black walnut and inlaid with delicate silver; the image of a fox surrounded by ivy on the side. She smiled, almost tearfully as she recalled the day she'd received it as a gift from her uncle; shortly before he passed. It was her most cherished possession, and she refused to leave it behind when she had to leave that town and her aunt. Reaching back into the secret drawer, Valeska pulled out a small leather pouch; and carefully removed some of the pungent contents and placed it into the bowl of her pipe. She focused all of her attention to the tip of her finger, and smiled as she managed to conjure a puny flame this time; delighted that her time practicing was finally beginning to pay off.

Taking a fair drag of the sweet and acrid plant smoke, she held it in for just a short moment; before slowly breathing out.. "Much better. Good thing we already broke our fast right Weezilbee?" Valeska asked, looking over at the tawny male who was busy grooming himself; while looking at his reflection on a platter he had grabbed. He twisted his head around in a manner that had unnerved her for the first few weeks of their friendship to look at her, and chittered in agreement. Giggling to herself, she put away her pipe and supplies, grabbed her stitch work and a pink shawl; and went out into her garden to relax. Weezilbee swiftly followed behind, always desiring to safe-keep the young woman; even from herself at times. Sitting on the lonely bench towards the back, she began adding more stitches to her work; working carefully to avoid stabbing herself. She began humming gently as she worked, breathing in the crisp autumn air. She looked over to her right when she heard rustling and saw Peexey emerge, her paws behind her back; and she was trotting over while chittering happily. Valeska set her cross stich down carefully, and listened to what the smoky female was saying. The young maid smiled brightly and knelt down, then bowed her head since the smaller gryfaun said she'd brought a surprise. She waited with hardly contained excitement, and then lifted her head when Peexey signaled her.

It was a gorgeous and fragile crown of scarlet poppies, interwoven in a way that was impossible for Valeska or any human really; since their hands were too large. Her eyes widened, and she leaned over to gently hug the normally grumpy female "Thank you Peexey, I love it!" The gryfaun then placed the flower crown onto Valeska's chocolatey tresses, and stepped back; admiring her work. Looking back at the small being with dove grey fur, the practicing magician spoke up "There are some leftover hotcakes on the stove top if you want some. I added blueberries to them this time, and they turned out wonderfully." Valeska said as she returned to her cross stitch. 

And so her morning continued as such, with Weezilbee standing guard while Peexey broke her fast; and Valeska hummed as she worked. "I wonder what Geralt and Jaskier are up to?" she thought, wincing as she pricked herself for the third time that hour. She didn't have to wait long for an answer, because after another hour had passed, she'd gone inside to write in her journal; when a knock came from her door. "That's gotta be the boys." she thought, smiling and growing frolicsome; she opened her door and beamed seeing as she was right. There stood Geralt and Jaskier, the morning sun making their hair gleam and putting a wider smile on her face. "Good morning gentlemen! I hope you both had a restful night?" Valeska asked, eyeing Geralt somewhat curiously when his ashen cheeks were tinted a muted pink; and he looked away. She chose not to push him, and instead looked at Jaskier who had begun speaking about a new song he was writing.

"A new song then Jaskier? What will it be about? Have any ideas?" she asked the troubadour, her eyes full of gaiety while she listened to him spout wild tales of their most recent ventures. "Speaking of adventures, that's actually part of why were here, right Geralt?" asked the bard, looking over at the sedate professional. "Damn, not how I pictured this conversation." Geralt thought, while choosing his words. "Yes, I've finished my contract and seeing as there are no other jobs for me here; we plan to keep traveling. Wanted to ask, if you would like to join us; but I understand if not. Travelling the country isn't easy or-" He was cut off as she quickly stood up, the desire for the unknown shining from the depths of her eyes as she practically shouted "YES!" Quickly coughing into a closed fist, she restrained herself and finished with "If you do not mind that is.. I might not be the most helpful, but I won't be a burden, I promise."

Looking her over with his perceptive cat eyes, the large witcher could see that she had some muscle tone, most likely from working in fields. He carefully appraised her outfit today, deciding it suited her, even with the poppy crown on her head. He could tell she'd be able to handle herself if the need arose, so he grinned and felt assured as he turned his saffron eyes back to her comely face and replied "We'll set out before it gets too late in the day, sunset isn't the best time to travel. I'd suggest making sure you take the bare minimum on our journey. Is there anything else you'd like to add?" The young magician thought carefully, and looked over to Peexey for ideas. The small gryfaun waved and made a circle with her paws, immediately making Valeska recall her only real task of importance. "I'll have to be back by spring, that's the only catch; since I plan to dance again at that time. But everything is already taken care of, I'll just have to pack my supplies." she said with a scholarly look crossing her face.

"Wonderful! Truly fantastic to have some cheerful company for once while traveling. This is splendid, we should celebrate!" said the showy minstrel, grabbing both Geralt and Valeska's attention; and causing her to chuckle softly. "Come now Jaskier, Geralt is lovely company in his own way. Not to mention, I'm certain you feel much safer in his company than on your lonesome.." the buxom woman said cheekily, throwing a knowing and mirthful look at the sputtering bard. This in turn caused the witcher to smile a small smile as he watched the two exchange a friendly duel of witticisms, enjoying how at home their banter made him feel; as if this was part of their every day life. He looked back up when he heard Valeska call his name, so unlike what was in his dream "Geralt, would you be opposed to music during our journey?"

His slitted amber eyes flicked between the pair, taking in the exhilaration her smaller form was exuding; he could sense that saying no might not be an option. "Wouldn't wanna upset her, that probably won't end well. Besides, her singing should be heard more often." Looking over to Jask, then back to her; the White Wolf shrugged his shoulders and said in a nonchalant manner "I don't mind. I happen to think you have a lovely singing voice." then relished in the way her body reacted to his praise. Her cheeks became rosy, and her heart sped up a bit; things only he was able to notice. It greatly pleased him to see that he was able to get such a reaction from her, and made him eager to see how things might turn out on their travels.

Carefully schooling her features, Valeska could feel her body grow hot; but ignored it as best as she could in that situation. "So then, I should probably start getting ready. I'll need to get a few things in order before we can leave. Peexey" she said, looking for the small female. Walking over to her, Valeska knelt down and told her that Weezilbee would be in charge of the home while she was gone; causing the gryfaun to chitter in annoyance. "I know you're not happy with my decision, but I want to make sure nothing bad happens while I'm gone. He knows how to lock the door, and how to start a fire. Wait.. That might not be a good thing. Make sure he doesn't set anything on fire while we're gone please? I'll bring you back something really nice if you can do that for me." the green eyed young maid said, trying to sweeten the deal. Peexey slumped her shoulders, she knew she wouldn't be able to get out of this one. She chittered her agreement, but asked that whatever Valeska brought back be something shiny. Valeska smiled and nodded, then looked over to the pair again.

"I'll see you two later then, I really do need to finish getting ready." she said, as she saw Geralt nod and begin heading for the door with Jaskier in tow. She walked over as well, and before she could lose her nerve; she quickly embraced the witcher in a short hug. It almost broke her heart when she felt him stiffen, unsure of how to react; making her grieve for what was most assuredly a rough childhood. Letting go just as fast, she stepped back and saw his amber eyes boring into hers; uncertainty there in their depths for only an instant. "What was that for?" Geralt asked, savoring the residual heat from her smaller form. He heard Jaskier huff a bit, probably upset that he didn't get a hug. "Just a thank you for letting me join you. I've always wanted to travel, and now I have that chance because of you." Her smile was almost blinding. The tingling in his chest withdrew when he heard the blue eyed minstrel ask "Don't I get a hug too?" while looking for all the world like a kicked pup. The amber eyes of the witcher narrowed, and a strange feeling he identified as jealousy blossomed where the warm tingle used to be; and he felt like hitting the man. Thankfully he managed to restrain himself, and instead rolled his eyes as he watched Valeska give Jaskier a small hug. As she broke the hug, she turned back to Geralt and asked "May I ask, but where is your next destination? Anywhere specific you plan to travel to?"

Jaskier chose that moment to pipe up "I've heard some gossip that there's something near Kagen, in Sodden I believe, that's been decimating local predator and game populations. And that it's also claimed three victims, including a retired knight. I assume that's our next stop yeah?" He said as he saw Valeska's eyes widen a bit. Geralt nodded in confirmation, as he stood to leave. As he opened the door, he looked back at her and stated "We'll be back about three hours before sunset. Please be ready, and I'm glad that you decided to join us, Valeska." He smirked when her face flushed and she bid them goodbye for now. "What did I just get myself into??" she wondered silently to herself, beginning to question her own sanity; while the duo left her to her own devices. As she continued to rack her brain for the reasoning to her actions, she began pulling out her bedroll; and other supplies she'd need for a long journey. "Too late now, I'll have to wait and see how this develops. I think this will be good for me, and maybe he'll be able to help me with this gift of mine."

It was decided, she would take this rare opportunity to travel in relative safety; and she hoped something exciting happened. She had no idea how much more interesting her life was about to get, and how much more dangerous..  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
The person's inky eyes reflected dimly in the candlelight, as they looked deeply into the mirror and started a quiet chant; their voice revealing them to be a man. His face was frightfully beautiful, fully distracting from the pair of dark spiraling ram horns that sprouted from his head. His dulcet voice reverberated around the small chamber as he chanted. The mirror began to glow darkly, a new aura making it's way forward; summoned by the dark figure's chanting. Sensing the other being's power and presence, the incubus ceased chanting and brought his blackened eyes up to the mirror; waiting for permission to speak. The astral being called out from within the mirror's depths "Well? What news do you have?" in a peeved voice; demanding an answer. The incubus showed no emotion, but had to stop himself from flinching at the tone his master was now using; generally reserving it for when pain was in the near future of whoever meddled where they shouldn't have.

"Master, it seems that the witcher and the bard have asked to her join them as you presumed they would. I believe she has agreed to join them as well, exactly as you predicted." There was silence, as the astral being processed this new information; before saying "Well done Zaeleth. You will continue to keep a close eye on our little Source, make sure that she and the witcher are heading North; and that no harm comes to her. I need them ready by Imbælk, do not fail me; because you know what will happen if you do."

Zaeleth nodded his horned head as he felt his master's presence dissipate. Knowing the next step in the plan would involve much patience, the pallid yet attractive incubus began to carefully and meticulously pack only the necessities for this trip. He made sure to very carefully wrap the mirror into a rabbit fur, since it would be much more difficult to contact his master if it were to break; and he shivered at the thought of being the one to receive such rage from his master. The incubus could only recall one time where he'd seen his master truly angered, and it made him want to never be in that position. He decided that he would also pack his dagger, should he need to use it on someone, possibly the witcher; but he doubted it. Zaeleth didn't like the idea of having to travel, but had no choice in the matter. Their next stop, Kagen.

To be continued.


	10. Burn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The world of the Witcher is brutal and unkind to those unprepared to face what lurks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, another chapter! The journey continues, and I'm really happy that so many of you are enjoying it :D This chapter contain canon typical violence, and is actually a longer chapter.

After she changed into more appropriate clothes for their journey, the trio set off from Mossdale in a relatively timely manner, being delayed only once by Peexey; who had bolted out from the treeline towards them and insisted that she be allowed to join their little group. Valeska had tried to convince the stubborn creature to stay behind with Weezilbee, but sighed heavily when nothing she said swayed the smoky female. She was torn between what to do next, when Geralt spoke up from where he was standing; bringing her attention to him "I have no issues with her tagging along, so long as she stays out of the way, and doesn't cause any problems." he said while watching Jaskier pick a stone from the tread of his boot.

"That's a relief. It'll be nice to have her along for the trip." She mused to herself as she smiled at the witcher in thanks, then turned her head back to look Peexey in her bright owlish eyes "I hope you understood what Geralt said Peexey, because I promise I will find some way to teleport you home if you start causing us problems." The small gryfaun was busy pulling leaves from her fluffy tail, but turned her head back to face the pleasantly strange woman and nodded. They then continued walking on the road that led out of town, with Peexey trotting beside them. Geralt decided that he too would walk, not only to give Roach more time to rest, but because he felt a bit bad about having not one; but two people walking whilst he rode on the saddle.

As he led Roach along the path towards their next stop, Geralt turned his head and looked down to see their furry chaperone trotting beside him, making his mount gently snort in concern and try to distance herself; clearly not used to having such an odd little creature so close to her hooves. His brows knitted themselves together as Peexey just stared at the witcher as they walked, before blinking slowly and running off ahead of their small group. "Hm. Strange little thing.." he said more to himself than to anyone in particular, watching closely as the antlered creature hopped onto a very decayed fence post and calmly waited for them to catch up. He could hear little snippets of the friendly conversation going on behind him, but Geralt tried not to pry and paid them no mind; too deep in thought about the strange feeling from the previous night.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
The hour they'd spent walking seemed to pass quickly and peacefully, as they headed to Kagen. The gentle melody that Jaskier strummed on his lute hung fully on the autumn breeze, as the brunette practitioner hummed softly in tune. She continued to walk alongside the two men, despite Geralt offering to let her ride Roach; much to Jaskier's surprise and poorly hidden umbrage. The air was pleasantly warm, heedless of the changing seasons. Valeska looked over, and could see that even though Jaskier had returned to strumming his lute; his face was still a touch sour. "He's still a bit upset.. Maybe I should help with that." she thought, quickly coming up with an idea.

"Hey Jaskier, do you enjoy jokes?" the maid asked, as the bard's face brightened and took on an intrigued look; making her smirk slightly. She peeked over at Geralt's back and noticed he had slowed marginally, obviously wanting to hear this as well. "Maybe I can make them both laugh." flicked through her mind briefly. She carried on "So two stringed instruments meet for the first time" "This should be good" interjected the bard. "Don't interrupt please" Valeska commented. "Anyways, two stringed instruments meet each other for the first time. One asks the other, “What type of instrument are you? I’ve never seen one like you before.” The other replies “I am a lute, lots of strings, fat and folded at the end; indeed that’s me. What of yourself, I haven’t seen an instrument like you before either?” The one replies “Oh, I’m a harp.” The other instrument is skeptical “I do not think you have enough strings to be a harp, and you are too symmetrical.” The harp gasps, then says to the lute "Are you calling me a lyre sir?"

The bard chuckled heartily, making Valeska puff up with pride. And she joined as he continued laughing, making the journey seem even shorter. "Great joke Valeska, I've never heard that one before. What about you Mr Sourpuss?" Jaskier asked, looking towards the muscled back of the witcher; drawing her gaze in his direction again. The practiced swordsman chuckled lightly, earning a small smile from the young woman; and replied "It was certainly better than anything I could come up with, that's true. But it was also very clever, so well done."

"He actually complimented my joke!" Valeska thought, as they made their way to Kagen. She felt very warm, and her step gained a small bounce to it; making the corner of Geralt's mouth tip upwards in a tiny smile. He looked back to see Peexey gesture and say something to the future sorceress, which caused her to burst out laughing. Her laugh reminded him of wind-chimes dancing in the breeze, tinkling merrily and filling the air with music. Geralt never thought of himself as a poet, he normally left that to Jaskier; but being around Valeska and her sunny disposition made him want to pick up a quill and try his hand at it.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
They had barely passed the Slopes, when they had to stop and begin setting up camp. The thing that had been menacing the people of Kagen and causing such an awful ruckus was a fiend. The small group discovered this the hard way, as evening approached; bringing darkness upon them. Valeska and Jaskier had volunteered to set up camp seeing as they were still a few hours away from the town; and because setting up camp was the safer option. Geralt went to collect firewood, since he could fight off anything that was unlucky enough to disturb him. As they finished getting camp ready, Valeska had to gently scoot the bard's bedroll away from being directly next to hers, when she realized just how badly she had to relieve her screaming bladder.

She excused herself politely, not overly concerned that the amber eyed witcher was not yet back, and walked a fair ways away; over a small knoll of land to ensure she had some privacy. As she finished her business and began retying the laces of her breeches, it slowly dawned on her that the area she had so hastily walked over to; was ominously silent. In her desperation to answer nature's call, she'd entirely missed how foreboding this part of the grove was; and she silently cursed herself as her skin erupted in goose flesh. An alarm sounded in the back of her mind, as she cautiously made her way back towards camp, praying that she didn't draw the attention of anything nearby. 

"Please please please please please..." she chanted to herself, only to be answered by a low rumbling growl and a mighty crashing through the bushes several yards to her right. Valeska froze in terror as her heart thundered in her chest like a herd of wild horses, as the hulking brute emerged; making it's way slowly towards it's stupefied prey. The fiend's ghastly center eye held her transfixed to the spot, as it's rancid breath washed over her unarmed figure. Valeska pleaded with her body, begging it to heed her commands once more. She was very grateful when her senses returned and she was able to run again.

Still gripped with terror, she sucked in a lungful of the putrid air; and released a horrendous shriek as she turned and fled. She recalled passing a small cave on her way over this direction, but couldn't recall exactly. "Where the fuck is that cave?!" she thought frantically, knowing it was her only chance since she had decided to walk so far from the campsite. She heard the grotesque creature emit an ear-shattering roar as it began to chase her fleeing form; causing her line of thoughts to leave as she focused solely on survival. Her breathing became ragged, air left her taxed lungs in great heaving gasps; as she ran for her life. Just as she was beginning to lose hope and was certain the beast would catch her, since it's hot breath could be felt on her neck; Valeska ran around a small group of bushes and spotted the child sized cave mouth then bolted towards it.

Her path had changed so abruptly, that the fiend was briefly thrown off track despite it's three eyes. The gruesome beast dug it's claws into the dirt to slow itself down, then bellowed it's displeasure at being unable to sink it's terrible fangs into it's prey; and redoubled it's efforts while reaching a blood soaked claw towards the fear stricken magician. Valeska turned her head back in time to see it's claws start to fill her vision, forcing her to launch herself head first through the tiny cave opening. An explosion of fiery pain in her left shoulder ripped another terrified scream from her, as she landed on the cave floor; leaving the fiend outside since the entrance was far too small for it.

Scarlet, the same shade as her poppy crown, seeped in thick streams from the ugly gash as she pushed her injured body away from the entrance; trying to put some distance between her and the fiend. She started to feel clammy and hysteria began to grip her mind as the monster outside scrabbled an immense paw around the front of the cave with purpose, unrelenting in trying to grab and devour Valeska. "Fuck.. This is bad.." was all she could think as she pressed herself tightly to the wall as she watched the beast continue to angrily feel around for her. She calmly thought about which herbs would help to staunch the bleeding, doing her best to not panic since that would only make the situation worse. Her strength began to wane and she vaguely wondered how long it had been chasing her, knowing that it was probably only a few moments; it just felt longer.

Her vision began to darken, and she knew she would pass out soon; when the word Sruthán popped into her sluggish mind. It was quickly followed by a hot, prickling sensation that creeped down her arms the longer she thought about the word. "Geralt isn't here, and there's no way out. I have no choice but to try." Valeska reasoned with herself, as she watched the fiend's paw extract itself; to be replaced with it's blood spattered muzzle as it tried to widen the cave's opening. Her adrenaline spiked, and she raised her uninjured hand and pointed it at the monstrosity. "Sruthán" she said. Nothing happened, and the massive head with it's awful teeth and putrid breath were getting closer. "Sruthán!" she tried again, desperation filling her once more as bitter tears fell; and the beast's jaws inched towards her..

Despair filled her, but she refused to let it end like this. "SRUTHÁN!" Valeska screamed again, wishing with every fiber of her being that the monster hunting her would die; and was startled as it's head that was just out of arm's reach was quickly engulfed by angry violet flames. The fiend was equally startled that it's head had been set alight, and Valeska watched as it hastily withdrew while filling the air with terrible howls of pain. The fiend's howls were short lived, because the bloodied maid could make out the metallic whistling of a sword followed by a screech; then the stomach turning deluge of innards hitting the ground. She felt the land tremble as the massive creature fell, struck down by the witcher.

"He came for me.." she thought as darkness began to cloud her perception and she slumped against the cool stone of the cave wall. Valeska's body ached, the pain in her shoulder making itself known again as the adrenaline left her system; leaving her shaking and cold. Her awareness was dulled, but she was awake enough to feel her body being gingerly lifted into a pair of strong arms. She could feel the warmth rolling off him in waves as he held her closely; doing his best to put pressure on her wound while he quickly carried her back towards the camp. The last thing the injured source heard before the darkness consumed her, was Geralt's rough voice; soothing her despite being thick with unsaid worry "Hang on! Please hang on Valeska, we're almost there. You have to make it." Then there was only blackness.

To be continued


End file.
